In April/May as I contemplated the upcoming summer, I got a couple ideas for Thursday 13 that I could use. So, today I'm going to list all the times that I've fallen. Let's see what I can remember...
1. I was a freshman in high school. It was passing period between 2nd and 3rd periods, and I was running late. (Likely band had let us out late.) I was walking quickly towards my typing class. I slipped in my ballet flats, and bam. I landed on my butt. Who would be nearby to witness my humiliation? My third grade bully. He laughed. Somehow, I managed to make it to 3rd period on time, and only my pride was hurt. (Ah, to fall without major pain. Those were the days.)
2. My second major fall happened when I was in college. Freshman year. Like all of them, I was just walking along and I tripped over my own feet. It happened right in front of a group, I think they were called Campus Crusade for Christ. (No comment.) They were very nice and helped me to the campus clinic. There, the doctor said it was a moderate sprain, wrapped it, and sent me on my way. I managed to get to the rest of my classes that day. It was painful, the sprain, but I healed up after about six weeks.
3. So, that day I called my job (the now defunct evil toy store) to call out. But it was Season. They promised to find a box I could sit on while working the cash register so I could come in to work. This they did not do, and they gave me no help while insisting I continue to work on a sprained ankle. Yeah, reason number three (of about a thousand) why it's the evil toy store.
4. I walked out of my 2nd floor apartment, went down a couple steps, slipped. and landed on my butt. These were outside stairs, covered in those rocks you sometimes see on buildings. And I went down hard. It felt like I had bruised my tailbone, so I couldn't sit comfortably for a couple weeks. (I don't recall the exact year this happened, but considering where it occurred, I would have been between 26 and 28.)
I didn't dare call in sick to the evil toy store (now defunct) as the boss was an absolute a** who yelled at you for calling in sick. (I even went to work feeling like death warmed over one day as I didn't dare call in sick to him.) The injury was minor other than the tailbone. (I almost forgot about this one. I had finished this post before I recalled it. Well, posts are easy to edit.)
5. My niece (who is now 23) was young--three or four-ish. We were out in front of the condo, waiting for something. Or maybe just hanging out--the memory is fuzzy. Niece was running and laughing. I would step out to chase her.
The condo was on a hill. It was the third or fourth time I went to chase niece, but this time I was chasing her downhill. After two steps, I realized I was gaining momentum and I couldn't stop. I angled myself towards the grass (off the sidewalk), and let gravity have me. I landed on my knees, face first. Getting around was painful for a few weeks after that.
6. Now we've reached the falls that happened while I was blogging. First up: Not About the Highlighter. I was just walking to check out for the day. Although, to be fair, the area where this happened was not very even, so it was kind of easy to fall.
7. For a couple years after that, occasionally a student would ask if I was "the sub that fell". Apparently more of them saw it than I realized, or the story got around.
8. The area where I took that fall, though? It no longer exists. That was the area that became the new STEAM building at that school. The whole area was razed and they completely replaced the pavement around it. Of course, with how many times I've fallen now, that doesn't make me feel any better.
9. This one was recent enough that I still have vivid memories of it: A Fall Day. I even used a cane for a couple days right after this happened.
10. And just when I was healed from that, bookending the fall: Another Fall Day. #7 happened on the first day of autumn while this happened on the last. At least it was fairly minor compared to the others.
11. Oh wow, this one happened just about a year ago. I won't make you dig through that Thursday 13 to get to the fall story. I was in the bathroom because the plug in the sink wouldn't budge, and I had leaned down to open it from under the sink. I lost my balance and fell, but because small bathroom, the wall helped keep me from hitting the floor as hard as I could have.
12. And my latest fall: Locked In, Part 2. I'm really, really, really, really hoping this is the end of the fall saga. At least, I hope it's going to be another five years before I have another good blog-worthy fall story. Although, better if I don't.
13. As for the injury, it's mostly healed. It took about a month before I could fully bend the knee again. It was a little less than that before the scab fell off. But there's still a purple bruise on my right knee where it hit the asphalt. It's small and it doesn't hurt, but the discoloration is still there. I hope it vanishes eventually. It definitely looks way better than it looked when it happened.
You have my sympathies.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had three notable falls. Took a tumble on 23rd Street in Manhattan about 15 years ago and skinned my knee. Fell out of my flip flops in the supermarket once and almost died of embarrassment.
But 5he most significant happened in Philadelphia in the 90’s, when I gave new meaning to the words “business trip.” Missed a step in the hotel lobby, twisted my right ankle and wound up in a soft cast for two weeks.
Ouch. It's the ankle twists that are the worst. And, of course, the embarrassment.
DeleteI think worst fall was when I was 8 or so, flying around on the bars. I fell and my upper teeth went through the skin below my lower lip. Just a small scar now.
ReplyDeleteYikes. My brother had a similar event, although that involved his bike.
DeleteI too hope there are no more falls for you! As we grow older, we need to be more careful.
ReplyDeleteI am too prone to falls. A bad one was in 1998, when I was in Hyderabad. I fell off my motorbike and had a ligment tear in the ankle. For six weeks I couldn't walk around. And those days there was neither internet nor mobile phone!
I wrote a blog post about probably my most worst fall to date, which resulted in a bloody nose (fortunately not broken) and a chipped tooth. There was also the one where I tore a tendon in my ankle (sidewalk crack; hurrying to work) and was in a soft cast for several weeks, and the one where I bruised or broke my tailbone-wait for it, slipping off a bench in an ice cream parlor and landing on my butt. Now, as a senior, I am terrified of falling on ice. At least you won't have that problem.
ReplyDeleteIce scares me too
DeleteI do get to wintery weather sometimes, so an ice fall is not out of the question.
DeleteJamie here:
ReplyDeleteOne major fall I had was when I going downstairs from the health and human services in my county. Just before I reached the last step, I fell to the tarmac ground. There was some bleeding, but not a lot. Nothing was broken. The hist I was wearing got stained so I had to throw it out. Strangers nearby who had witnessed my fall offered help, and someone from one of the nearby county offices gave me a new shirt for free. It was awhile before I could get someone to come get me and drive me to emergency. Nothing severe, and no further bleeding.
Yikes. It's nice when the bystanders are helpful. That's been my experience, too.
Deletethecontemplativecat here. FALLING has taken me out a few times. My problem is hitting my head; have seen stars and knocked out. Be careful, lady. Falling is serious business. I understand you perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI have been lucky in that I have not hit my head. Yeah, that can make it so much worse.
DeleteA sub falling? I imagine that spread like wildfire. I would be surprised if it was passed down through the years.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, you won't have enough falls for another post like this. I tend to fall somewhat often, too. I sprained my ankle the first day of vacation last year when I didn't see a step down in the condo.
ReplyDeleteI hope I never can do another post like this. I know that's probably not the case (although it should be several years before I'd have enough material for a Thursday 13).
DeleteI hope for you no more falls! My worst fall was when I stepped in an old post hole and fell into the fence. I didn't break my ankle but I probably would have been better off if I had. I still have problems to this day with that ankle, and that fall was 25 years ago.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. Well, I'm so happy these falls weren't more serious. When you waaay older you'll find that just turning your foot in the wrong direction will take you out for a week! Lol. Great post, Liz!
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty much what happened to me in #2 ;)
DeleteI'm intrigued by #5. How did your then-little niece respond to it in real time? Was it funny or was she scared for you? Does she remember it today as clearly as you do? PS What an original idea for a TT!
ReplyDeleteNiece was scared for me. I have no idea if she remembers it today. I don't think we've ever discussed it since.
DeleteI can’t believe you listed 13 falls and remembered all the details to describe them. I hope there won’t be anymore falls for you…
ReplyDeleteIf you think this is wild, check back in two weeks. I'm doing another memory exercise, but for something different :)
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