Tripping

Tripping                                                March 2019

It has been six weeks since my fall. I waited too late on the sunset for photos from one of my listings and was walking back to my car in the dark through a construction area. I turned my ankle on a rock that was about the size of a grape and went face first onto the pavement. Fortunately I did a six-point landing on my chin, sternum, left shoulder,   both hands and left knee. Though damaged, there was nothing broken.

My mother-in-law gave me this great tip. Instead of “step on a crack and break your mother’s back” it is now “step on a crack and save your back.” If you are walking and your toe catches a tiny 1/4 inch lip between two sections of concrete, you might have more serious injuries than mine. If you step ON the crack, your foot will rock to compensate for that small difference in elevation. I got confirmation of this by watching a two year old walk. His tiny feet never left a gap as the toe of his next step was dead even with the heel of his last step on the other foot.

Yesterday I watched   a skateboarder cruising the boardwalk in Carlsbad while texting. His skateboard found the only pot hole in that mile of concrete and it stopped.   He did not. Don’t text and drive, or text and ride, or even text and walk. If you are moving, pay attention to what you are doing. If you see something beautiful whether afoot or in a vehicle, pull over and smell the roses.

In 1984 fashion designer/producer Laura Ashley owned 200 stores worldwide and was grossing $130,000,000 per year. On September 17, 1985 she fell down the stairs at her daughter’s home and died ten days later. Hold handrails when navigating stairs in both the up and down directions. Watch where you are stepping as some stair steps have different heights and depths. Sometimes that is true on the same stair riser!

Look at your feet as you move. If you can’t, then stop moving.   For instance, never carry a package that is so large that you can’t see your feet.

Trip Hazards – concrete parking berms, speed bumps, animal droppings, banana peels, the edge between walkways and landscape, tall curbs, wet things, cliffs, lion and tigers and bears, oh my!

When confronted with temptation, run away from it. While doing so be sure to watch where your feet are landing. (2nd Timothy 2:22-24, tripping advice added)