This time of year, one often says BOO!! But instead, I was saying Boo-Hoo.
It happened on a recent morning walk through our rural area. I am the speaker here, with my ramblings. Me, only me.
Well, I need to walk this morning. It’s colder than I like, 41 deg F. But, I guess I’ll force myself to get out there.
Ok, not bad, it doesn’t feel too cold out here. At least the sun’s out. I can do this. I can walk.
You know, I really don’t enjoy walking for the sake of walking. I don’t mind walking TO something, like TO a specific destination. That's OK. But, I don’t like walking when I’m just walking to walk. I realize I’m getting exercise, and I need to do that. So I’ll carry on. But, I don’t like it. Not really.
I can think of so many things I could be doing right now if I wasn’t out here walking. I have a lot of stuff waiting at home.
When can I turn around and head back to the house, already?
OK, let me commit. I’m gonna try to have a good attitude. It is nice out here in the country. I hear the rooster crowing up there at the house around the bend.
Look, there are the chickens milling about the chicken yard. Hi chickies.
Oh, I don’t usually see cows up here by the fence. Hello there ladies.
Looks like people are having riding lessons this morning. It's pretty, but I can’t get a good shot of the horses. They are too far away.
I really want to turn back now, but since I’ve come this far, I think I’ll walk all the way up to the goats. I haven’t seen them recently, so I might as well keep going. Turn this into a big walk. I’m sure I’ll be glad that I did.
Now I think I'm gonna....
OH!....Wha???....#@$%$#!!....Owwwwwwww!....What the?! ”
And there I was on the ground. Hole ripped in my pants. Bloody knee. Ankle twisted. So much pain. It hurt like the dickens. I tried to stand up, but my ankle was not having it. Apparently, a dip in the pavement had sent me tumbling.
Oh man, come on. Well, crap. Now what?
I didn’t think I could walk all the way back home. I was pulling out my phone to call Rob to ask him to come pick me up when a neighbor drove by. He stopped and offered to give me a ride back to my house. Much appreciated. Rob saw us pulling into the driveway and wondered what I had done now. He’s accustomed to my injuries and accidents. Once home, I remembered my RICE first aid: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. I also added Medication and Sitting On My Derrière On The Sofa Watching TV Whilst Rob Tends To Everything Else. The searing pain notwithstanding (11 on a scale of 1-10), I held off on going to the urgent care, so I could give it a day to see how it felt. Good call, because the next day my ankle was greatly improved, not much pain, very little swelling, and only slight discoloration. It felt ‘not quite right’ and I walked with a bit of a limp, but nothing I couldn’t manage.
You see, I’m no stranger to mishaps. Believe me, I’ve gone through my fair share of ankle wraps, splints, orthopedic boots, braces, compression sleeves, crutches, tapes, and bandages. Mainly, I’m a heavy walker. No tippy toeing around. When I take a step. I’m all in. So, when I step, if something goes awry, all of me goes awry. I lose my balance, trip, stumble, falter, stagger, slip, pitch forward, etc. I’m clumsy and klutzy. I am a walking disaster area waiting to happen. Just ask any of my family members. Falling during my walk was the most ME thing ever.
That’s what I get for walking. That morning, I thought I would be patting myself on the back for sticking with it. Instead, I wound up shaking my head and tutting, thinking of how many times I had gotten injured doing the most ordinary things.
Today, a week later, I took a short walk. I tried to pay attention to my steps, watching for trip hazards. If you think walking is boring (which I do), try walking cautiously looking out for cracks and uneven pavement, danger everywhere. That is really boring. But, it's OK; I’m sure I’ll lighten up before long and get back to regular old walking, keeping fit and all. Believing that my feet will do me no wrong.
Have YOU fallen recently? Do you tend to get hurt more often than other people? If so, welcome to the club!
Which character in my story is most like you?
- Accident-Prone Gwen?
- Good Samaritan Neighbor?
- Seen-It-All Caregiver Rob?
Stay safe out there, friends! Don't let any Goblins trip you up!