Magnificent Pinwheeling Pratfall

I fell down the other day.  I was walking by myself.  I don’t smoke.  I wasn’t chewing gum.  I wasn’t talking on my cell phone.  I wasn’t even channeling.  I was just walking along on my way to the car to go to a meeting.  The sidewalk was pretty much clear.  I’d just passed through a few fallen leaves.  Maybe, just maybe there was something sticky on the sidewalk or, perhaps, I stumbled over one of those PG&E inserts in the sidewalk that had sunk a little bit.  

Anyway, it was one of those rather magnificent arms flailing and pinwheeling, bags flying, giant steps grand dive into the sidewalk pretty purple flowered groundcover.  I impacted on my boob.  Good thing they are big.  Then, my left shoulder took the hit and I ended up lying on my back with my head hanging off the curb into the street.  I was shocked and stunned and I really couldn’t move.  A lady ran across the street and within moments two more appeared.  I reassured them I was okay, but I did need some help to stand up.  Actually, I’d have needed the help to stand up regardless of whether or not I’d fallen, but they helped me to my feet and insisted I sit down on the steps to the house where we were.  

They were all so very, very kind.  And, though I don’t know who they are and had never seen them before, I want to thank them all for their kindness and their solicitude in my time of need.  They offered to take me anywhere I wanted to go.  It was such a very caring moment.  But, I assured them I was okay.  Actually, I was babbling a bit.  I kept saying, “I need to go to a meeting.  I have to take notes.”  

The car was just a short distance away.  We could all see it from where I sat on the steps.  So, after a few minutes I made my way there.  I got in, adjusted the seat, buckled my seat belt and that was when the reaction set it.  I started crying.  And, I realized just how very lucky I was.  Those ladies had sworn they saw my head hit the curb.  What can I say?  Big hair.  But, it could have hit the curb.  But, I was okay.  Everything was okay.  I was a little shaken up.  Nothing had been twisted or wrenched much other than my shoulder (the same one I hit 15 years ago when I took a flying leap out of a city bus).  Anyway, I sat there in my car and it occurred to me how very miraculous that fall had been.  And, I started thanking everybody.  “Thank you guides.  Thank you cats.  Thank you Mom.  Thank you guardian angels.”  A voice intervened:  “Give yourself some credit.  You knew how to take a fall.”  So, that sort of pulled me up short.  I gathered myself and went on to babble somewhat at the meeting.

I have concluded though something else of interest about that fall.  All my life I’ve had a fear of falling.  Especially, in regard to the general embarrassment of having put on a spectacle.  As a little girl I’d worry so much about showing my underwear in public.  Oh, horrors.  Anyway, you’d figure that pratfall I took was pretty spectacular.  I mean, they couldn’t have choreographed anything finer for a Three Stooges movie at all.  But, I wasn’t embarrassed, either during it or afterwards.  I was just grateful that I wasn’t hurt and thankful for the solicitude of strangers.  Like I told them at the office, “I was busy having an accident.”

Three days later, I’m a bit sore.  The rib under my boob hurts.  I have a nasty looking bruise on my hip.  And, I’m watching that shoulder carefully taking one of my dwindling stash of 600 mg Motrin once a day.  But, everything else is okay.  Very, very lucky.  Thanks everybody.