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Winter in West Virginia provides lots of opportunities to slip, slide and crash. I was absolutely sure my neighbors would call each other to the window to watch the kid from Florida lose his balance on the ice or hard packed snow and see his books go flying. It happened almost weekly during the snow season.

It was a common place source of embarrassment for me initially. The wet backside would need to be explained and endured if there was not enough time to go back home to change before class. Why couldn't I be more careful, should I have worn different shoes or why the hell did I leave Florida for this? I went to West Virginia in January to start graduate school. Eventually I recognized others with wet backsides and realized it just went with the territory. I would still scramble to right the ship and get up as fast as possible, and refuse offers of assistance because I thought if I fell down it was my responsibility to get up. Falling down is a private matter or at least it was back then until I learned differently.

I can't think of a trip, slip, slide, or stumble that isn't partly the fault of the person that falls. Falls are a part of life and as we get older they become more dangerous and you need to be more careful. Thankfully embarrassment is not my first reaction any more. Frightened is the operative adjective if I've fallen or see someone over the age of 30 falling.

If I see a person fall these days it is a much more violent act than I ever remember it being in the past. Usually people will run up to you and ask you if you are ok and even help you up as they are able. The victim of the fall will try to act like the kid on the playground where falling was just part of the game as they are able. That is a good outcome using current medical jargon. Bruises whether physical or mental will heal faster than a broken hip.

It used to be: I hope they won't chuckle after I've gotten up.

Now: if I've fallen I hope they can help get up if needed.

Now: I hope I haven't broken anything and that there is something close enough to lean against or crawl to as I attempt to get myself vertical.

Now: age has made both falling and getting up a bigger deal. My balance while never good is something I work at in attempt to make sure that the inevitable stumbles do not become catastrophic events. One hip replacement is enough of a learning experience for anybody

Calcium, Vitamin D, and Bone Density tests and osteoporosis are new subjects for Google searches and I try to be more vigilant about picking things up and getting in and out of the shower more carefully is now standard operating procedure.

Learn more about this author, John Asgeirson.
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