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I haven't been around because . . . Yes, the six pictures tell the whole story. It was a near miss. A head falling from 2.3 meters up in a 120 degree arc and landing 'paapp*' on a hard tiled floor is liable to get cracked. And then there are the neck bones and the oh so fragile spinal cord. Miraculously all these survived my fall intact. There was a lot of blood, but only from a surface cut on my scalp. The hematoma (baluku in Singlish) was huge, but has now shrunk considerably. I'm still getting dizzy when I work too long on the computer or sit in the car for more than 20 minutes. There's still some residual bruising. Otherwise though, I'm ok.
It's something to be hugely thankful for.
And the lessons I've learnt?
No more relying on wonky stools. If I must clamber up somewhere, I shouldn't be lazy. I ought to walk to the store room and get the ladder out. Better still, keep a ladder in the kitchen or ask someone younger to do the climbing for me.
And yes, I'm sending gratitude out to the universe. It could all have been much worse. Someone or some force was looking out for me, for sure.
It was a wakeup call to always be mindful. And to be grateful for my one still precious life and those in it.
How about you? Have you had a close call that caused you to see your life and the people in it with new more appreciative eyes?
OH MY GOODNESS, GIRLFRIEND!!! I get shivers reading this. In my experience, stepladders are worth their weight in gold. My advice to all: if you don't have one, get one; when you have one, use it!
My close call occurred about 12 or 13 years ago. My only aunt had spent nearly a month in hospital with a variety of ailments and I had temporarily moved to Rapid City to move her into a care facility and tend to a million details. Finally she was released from the hospital and I volunteered to drive her the 5 miles from the hospital to the care home, with new oxygen equipment. I was so nervous, focusing on her well-being and the oxygen…