I fell today

I fell today.

I was taking my dog out for a walk. Stamped on something, slipped and fell down on my knees. As I was recovering from the shock, I saw two people one just running away from me, the other one standing still. Then I suddenly realized that the leash of my dog is not my in hand. I found him sniffing my foot, as if he is inquiring me whether I am alright. My dog was the reason for those two people not coming near me and offer any help. That taught me two things, when I fall, your closest friend will always be with you. There will always be people around you who want to help, but they can be helpless.

I examined my body. A bruise on my right knee. Left thumb is a bit numb. Should be all right. Moved another 10 steps, my right shoulder there is a pain, my left lower back again there is pain. Even if the point of contact while falling was my knees and hands, there is a wide spread impact. One of my friends had a small loss in his business. Not only that he cut down his going to club/bar to once a week, his wife started going in a Swift instead of in the Audi, that too with no smile on her face, I stopped seeing his 7 year old son on Saturday mornings in that white kungfu dress, practicing all the way while getting into the car.

I was too careless, stamped on a veneer sheet, thinking it is a piece of paper that led me into this fall. Carelessness can cost you too much. In my home town, this old man heard the door bell ringing in the morning 5:30. As usual he carelessly opened the door partially and just put only his hand outside, showed the milk vessel thinking it is the milkman. “Oh Mijje Venkatapati” (Oh my Venkatachalapati, in Konkani. My folks back in my home town are devotees of Lord Venakatachalapti ), that’s all he remembers calling out himself loudly.  Somebody pulled him out, covered his face with chloroform laced towel and looted the valuables from his house.

 I had fallen many times before. Once cow dung, some other time a banana peel, another time a KFC bucket, due to many objects thrown by people at different levels in the society. Does that mean I will stop walking? I will walk and surely fall – how soon and by what object is the only question. If that is the case, I would have stopped going to restaurants. (Last week I went to “Kunds” to have Indian barbeque. Today I am going to “Barbeque Nation” to have authentic barbeques). I had stomach upsets many times after having food outside. Once I had taken a prospective customer for dinner in a 5 star hotel. He had come down from Minneapolis to discuss the possibility of awarding a project to us.  Saw him off at the airport and returned home. Cramps, stomach pain, vomiting sensation, fever, head ache I had all possible symptoms of strong diarrhea. After visiting the doctor next day morning and taking some medicines I became somewhat ok, and then only I remembered my customer. Shot him a one liner email “how was your journey back?”. He replied, “Bad. I could not sit continuously for 10 minutes in my seat for the first 1 hour of the journey and could not move an inch from my seat for the rest of my journey. I think it is the welcome drink they gave me on board”.  I didn't tell my story to him, I just replied, “Terrible, I feel sorry for you”. As such the chances of getting that project were very less.

Another reason for my fall could be my chappals. They are fairly old, it was 1.5 inch thick when I bought it, would be hardly quarter inch now, totally bald at the bottom. If we use tools or accessories that are almost at the verge of retirement, we can get hurt. Once I was checking whether the power is coming in that socket in my wall. I inserted the tester, which was easily more than 10 years old. It was not glowing, I got really annoyed, I had connected properly this time with no distractions around. In that anger I inserted the tester more. I came to know not only that there was power, but that it is really powerful. My hand started trembling for a few minutes. I threw that tester away and bought a new one. I can afford to buy a new tester but not to miss any upcoming opportunity of “testing” times.

At times, these falls can be advantageous also. We tried to play volley ball in a neighboring empty site, this is 15 years back. If I had told it’s just a few years back no one would believe it. Forget about my physique, where are those empty sites now to play, that too volley ball. One old gentle man used to come and watch our adventure. Not only watching, he used to provide unbiased opinion while we were arguing for each point. That day we just tied the net, not even got into the first argument, our man fainted, fell down. We rushed him to hospital. Doctors ruled out of any cardiac stroke, as his wife was suspecting since he had that in his family history. It was just a case of anemia. But doctors advised him to be in the hospital for couple of days for observation, obviously for their advantage.  Next day we went and visited him, he was extremely delighted. “ Look this fall actually helped me in a big way. My wife never allowed me to eat a piece of “parippu vada” ( masala vada, a snack deep fried in oil ) worrying it would harm my heart. See what I am eating now. Palada ( sweetest dish made of milk, rice flakes and sugar, very popular in Kerala. One table spoon of it can give you calories worth 5 big red apples)”. His happiness had no bounds.

What do you think happened to me today? I sat in front of my laptop computer thinking as what I would write today. My mind was blank for 10 minutes. Suddenly my fall in the morning came to my rescue!

Yep, my right knee is still paining a bit. Doesn’t  matter.  Let me get up, I need to get ready for a birth day treat from my cousin. You too have a happy meal today, that too free!