I’m not sure about gravity. I wasn’t a big fan of the movie either. The imagery was lovely, but I found the adulation over the top. I found it okay.

Gravity does other things besides inspiring movies – I like an atmosphere as much as the next person – but it also causes me grief. I’m not talking about the superficial stuff, like a posterior determined to set up residence near the backs of my knees. It’s definitely gravity’s fault, not the hours in front of a computer screen without movement or exercise to keep the muscles in hand.

It’s my pain that I’ve decided to lay at gravity’s door. The hip stuff, anyhow. I can’t pin neuralgia or emotional issues on it yet, but give me time. The structural defects in my hips contribute to the problem but, if gravity didn’t insist on dragging me down, the cartilage wouldn’t wear away, leaving an unpleasant bone-on-bone issue.

There’s also the clumsiness. The tripping might not be gravity’s fault, but the impact is. I’ve never been able to figure out why I’m so clumsy. [i] You can blame my early clumsiness on my need for glasses, but the problem continued beyond my first pair of Fred Flintstone frames in grade five. Ditto blaming it on growth spurts: my clumsiness isn’t locked in time. Am I chronically distracted? Is it inconvenient blind spots? Maybe I’ll blame c-PTSD. I can tell you that falling up a set of stairs is embarrassingly painful; if you do it often enough, you’ll get a reputation.

I wish my high school counsellors had suggested I take more science courses. I’m smart enough. That’s not bragging. I am smart when it comes to school. But know more would be a handy thing.

Sexism shows up everywhere. Patronizing examples of men who think they’re smarter than me because they’re “men” have been in my face all week. I even got it from my dad. I’m not enjoying it at all. [ii] I guess stepping into “men’s work” sets things off. [iii]

But if I’d studied science more, I’d have been able to figure out what reduction of gravity would’ve left life on our planet viable. Can we get it down to below 9.8m/s2? [iv] Or is this a case of synchronicity? If you change one thing, do you change everything? If we had less gravity, would I be writing this at my floating desk? Would I live in a world of doughnut-rain? [v]

I don’t hate either of those choices, probably because of the holes in my science education. I bet there’s a fine line between ‘floating’ and ‘drifting off into space along with the air.’ I bet crop yields collapse when the rain comes in doughnut-form.

Gravity, time, mass, and light are the building blocks of the universe. At least, in some interpretations. Which of these is your least favourite essential element?

Do you have a personal quirk like clumsiness that’s a source of amusement to others?

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[i] I had an idea that it might be related to early childhood abuse but I can’t prove it. My clumsiness is strange: I have excellent proprioception. I also have years of gymnastics and yoga. I’ve even been told I move with grace. Right up until I trip over the cat. It might also be a case of, “haste makes waste”.

[ii] This is a new thing for me. I’ve not experienced large quantities of personal overt sexism in my life. Enough but not large amounts. Getting it is seriously pissing me off. Getting it from my family is worse.

[iii] Redoing my bathroom is the men’s work I’m referring to. Any number of guys I know who do not know how to do home renovation are irritated I haven’t asked them for advice or help.

[iv] Let’s all pretend that we understand what the number means. Gravity is confusing stuff. A confusing thing? The English of physics is also a challenge.

[v] The Simpson’s “Tree House of Horror V”. “Time and Punishment.” Homer inadvertently makes a time machine while trying to fix a toaster and one of the realities he prematurely rejects includes doughnut rain.