Falling Over
I'm quite good at falling over. I do it relatively often, because I don't have a very good sense of balance, and don't usually hurt myself.
I may already have told you that in my first year of university I fell down a flight of stone steps, rounded the corner at the bottom, rolled down the next flight, rounded that corner and fell down the final flight, to find myself surrounded by an amazed crowd of students all longing to call the ambulance on their mobiles - except, of course, that mobile phones hadn't been invented yet and even Anneka Rice's huge carphone-thingy was not yet born.
Anyway, the students were quite surprised when I got up sheepishly and walked away.
I think it's because I have rather slow reactions. By the time I've gone "Oh no, I'm falli - - " I've already been stopped from falling by landing on something.
Today I was working at Dewsbury District Hospital and trying to find my way back to my car. It's a sea of similar-looking buildings, not very well labelled, and if you add the fact that it was pitch dark and very wet so I didn't want to get my map of it out of my bag, you can see why I had a bit of a problem.
"Oh look, there's A and E," I thought to myself, "I'm sure I passed that on the way in - - " and then, just outside it, I skidded on a patch of mud and ended up sitting on the ground in a most undignified posture.
The trouble with falling over is you feel such a twit. Luckily I wasn't really hurt at all, just rather surprised. But if I'd've broken an ankle, say, I still think I would have tried to get to my car and drive home rather than have the humiliation of staggering in there and saying "I fell over just outside."
I went back to Leeds and visited the Communist in hospital, with much of my clothing covered in mud. Nobody remarked upon it, and he was very pleased to see me, and looking very well. I returned home muddied but unbowed.
I may already have told you that in my first year of university I fell down a flight of stone steps, rounded the corner at the bottom, rolled down the next flight, rounded that corner and fell down the final flight, to find myself surrounded by an amazed crowd of students all longing to call the ambulance on their mobiles - except, of course, that mobile phones hadn't been invented yet and even Anneka Rice's huge carphone-thingy was not yet born.
Anyway, the students were quite surprised when I got up sheepishly and walked away.
I think it's because I have rather slow reactions. By the time I've gone "Oh no, I'm falli - - " I've already been stopped from falling by landing on something.
Today I was working at Dewsbury District Hospital and trying to find my way back to my car. It's a sea of similar-looking buildings, not very well labelled, and if you add the fact that it was pitch dark and very wet so I didn't want to get my map of it out of my bag, you can see why I had a bit of a problem.
"Oh look, there's A and E," I thought to myself, "I'm sure I passed that on the way in - - " and then, just outside it, I skidded on a patch of mud and ended up sitting on the ground in a most undignified posture.
The trouble with falling over is you feel such a twit. Luckily I wasn't really hurt at all, just rather surprised. But if I'd've broken an ankle, say, I still think I would have tried to get to my car and drive home rather than have the humiliation of staggering in there and saying "I fell over just outside."
I went back to Leeds and visited the Communist in hospital, with much of my clothing covered in mud. Nobody remarked upon it, and he was very pleased to see me, and looking very well. I returned home muddied but unbowed.
posted by Daphne at 11:06 pm
5 Comments:
LOL, that made me laugh!
Glad to hear you weren't hurt. Trying to think when I last fell over. At a work Christmas do a few years ago (at the Landmark Hotel at Paddington, which is quite smart) I fell down a whole flight of (thankfully, shallow and carpeted) steps landing in a heap. Terribly embarrassing. But I was 'tipsy', in fairness. Can't think of a recent time I've fallen but it's SO much worse when there are people around who see it, even tripping is quite embarrassing.
Very embarrassing for you, very amusing for the rest of us. Can't help but think it was very convenient to fall outside a hospital and that an injury would have made the whole thing worthwhile.
Hope the Communist is perking up.
Can't find your way out of a hospital, fall over when you eventually do get out ?
Add to this going voluntarily to an Amy Whinehouse concert and I'm getting Very worried about you, Daffy.
Ian
Siegfried: why IS tripping over in front of people quite so embarrassing? It just IS.
Malc: Yes, it did seem a bit of a waste not to avail myself of their services! Today the Communist is perky but tired as he's been in the wheelchair round the ward, thank you.
Ian: It's my age, I expect. But then again, it always has been.
Oh man... Falling over is awful. I fell over on my first day at Leeds Uni - my ankle gave in and I fell facefirst down 2 tiny steps, bruised my hands and cracked my knee so hard I couldn't kneel for months. Was mortified and tried to hide how hurt I was, but still attracted some sympathetic students who turned even nicer when they worked out I was foreign. Ouch.
Post a Comment
<< Home