Grace

It has never been my strong suit. I appreciate that my mother tried---several years of tap dancing lessons for body awareness...even a college class in "dance"....but I am a klutz. I am o.k. with that. Acceptance!

Occasionally, it is humorous. Once in awhile, problematic. Tuesday was a problematic day.

I fell out of my office building .  There is no other way to describe it.  As I stepped out the door, my foot landed on a small branch (I think) that was on the sidewalk just below the step.  That rolled, casting me to the side.  My other foot landed in the landscape rocks--and  unstable surface---and I became a projectile--aided by momentum toward my home bound commute and gravity.

WHAM, oppph!  I was suddenly intimately associated with both the landscape rocks and the adjacent cement sidewalk---With my hands slammed against the edge of the walkway, and my chin, lips, and nose in full contact with the cement--I briefly pondered how to "gracefully" get up---while a co-worker frantically asked me if I was getting up-----like it would not have occurred to me to do so!!   She was slightly hobbled by a leg cast as the result of her own interactions with a stool that her foot went through--breaking both the stool and the foot.......so was not actually in any shape to rescue me from my position inspecting the cement.

My first thoughts were "How did I get here?"  Followed quickly by the realization that EVERYTHING hurt, and could possibly be hurt!  It took a few seconds to think through the next move.

First I moved my eyes back a little from the cement, breaking the contact of my chin.   I did not observe gushing blood---a good sign.  Then I considered if I could /should use my hands to push up.   Of course I needed to, but the possibility of doing further damage did occur to me.   Lacking a crane, I saw no other choice and pushed myself up to my knees (ouch, the rocks!), and then to standing.  Collected my bag,  ran my hands over by face--pulling them back, no blood!  Ask my co-worker if I seemed to have all my teeth?  She said she thought so...So, having a car pool to catch,  not to be stranded in the city, I departed, shouting over my shoulder that I would let her know if my jaw was broken.  Adrenalin rush!

Passing her car pool buddy on the route to my pool, I admonished her to "watch out for sticks"---which she thought very odd until she got the rests of the story........

Fortunately, nothing seems to be broken.   I spend the time in urgent care, and have filled out all of the "workplace injury forms"  Lots of bruising, soreness, etc.   I look like a victim of domestic violence---or workplace violence---but it is just the result of Klutziness mixed with bifocals and a stick! 

I will heal in time, but will still be klutzy. 

My employer should do a better job with the random sticks and debris----I need all the help I can get!!