More accidents occur in the home than any other place. You might fall down the stairs, slip on a loose rug, or trip over furniture. However, the biggest cause of accidents is human error…inattention.
How many times have you tripped over a toy left on the floor, because you weren’t watching? When you climb onto a chair instead of a step stool to fix something, I’ll bet you’ve sometimes lost your balance. Of course, the children have bumps from falling off the furniture while playing. Everyone has had an accident in the home at one time or another.
Accidents usually happen when we are preoccupied with something other than what we are doing at the time. Our mind tends to wander as we do menial tasks, like cleaning or carrying out the trash. My thoughts are usually about columns ideas as I clean, or workout. It seems to be good thinking time.
I don’t know what I was thinking as I carried out the trash last Friday. I had just finished cleaning and gathered four bags of trash to put into the trash can. I slipped into my scuffs, (since I run around the house barefoot all of the time,) and started walking out to the trash can. As I shuffled along the sidewalk, which is made of red patio blocks, I tripped on a broken block and suddenly I found myself airborne. Everything happened in slow motion from then on. The trash bags pushed against my stomach, my knees hit the sidewalk, and I felt my nose sliding across the concrete, and then my head slammed against the sidewalk with a thud. I saw stars!
I uttered a few seafaring terms and picked myself up, tried to brush the dirt from my clothes and threw the trash in the dump. I figured that is what you get when you procrastinate. I should have replaced that broken block long ago.
Looking at my reflection in the mirror was a shock. My forehead had a huge goose egg, with a bruise forming across my eyebrow, and the scratches were dripping blood. My nose was beginning to swell from the scrape down the side of it, and my upper lip had two gouges in it, as well. And it was going to get worse, before it got better.
I just stood there laughing at my clumsiness and thought to my self, “A broken arm last year and now this? What will next year bring?”
My head ached, so I took two Aleve and put an ice pack on my face to stop the swelling. I looked like I had been used as a punching bag. What would people think when they saw me?
“Oh darn,” I said, “I need groceries.”
Better I do my shopping now, before these scrapes scab over and look even worse.
As I pushed the cart around the market, I could see people turn and look at me with questioning eyes. I couldn’t hear what they said, but they were probably wondering who hit me. I was so embarrassed!
I quickly filled my basket and got in the checkout line, hoping to get out without more questioning glances. No luck!
The woman in front of me turned around and with a surprised look said, “Ouch! That looks awful!”
Trying to be nonchalant about it, I laughed and said, “This isn’t bad; you should see the other guy.”
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