Almost Home Sunday

I'm in my usual haunt of Allentown, one last night on the road. I am not in a particular rush, and I started staying here, about two hours out of NYC, in order to avoid Sunday night beach traffic. I'll take it easy in the morning and be home by lunch.

I was getting sleepy this afternoon, and it's something (of course) I have taken seriously. Decided to get off the highway at the next exit which turned out to be the scene of a terrible accident.

This is right off the exit ramp and the white thing in the middle of the photo is the underside of a truck. I dont know if there was another vehicle involved, but somehow this truck turned over.

This was a small town, rural area, and there were many emergency vehicles. By the time I got there, there was a huge crane that was being set up to lift the truck.

I was the second or third card in line getting off the highway and we were just being held there.



Then out of nowhere, this Amish guy (left) strolls up to survey the accident. You can see the wheels on the far left.



 I decided to go to the restroom so I pull into this gas station with convenience store. I wasn't paying (enough) attention... I opened the door and in the next 1/2 second, I am sprawled on the floor. There was a carpet/mat by the front door where the edge was curled and it tripped me. I was so shocked that my heart was pounding, my hand was shaking and I was in a weird position by which I couldn't get up. Yes, help I've fallen and I can't get up. I was embarrassed and sort of pissed off, so this young kid who worked there comes over and wants to help me up, but he was scrawny and I knew I'd pull him down on top of me. Really. Plus, I just wanted to sit there a minute and catch my breath. It's a weird thing to just be strolling into a store and then do a face plant on the floor.

So this young guy, a big strapping kid (yes, good looking too) came over and I could see by his arms he was no 99 pound weakling, and I somehow got on my knees and he helped me up. Of course it seemed like I'd been down on the floor for 20 minutes, but it was more like two minutes.

The manager was frantic -- kept offering free soda, free food, whatever I wanted. It surprised me that he acknowledged it was the store's fault, apologized, which was fine. When I did stand up, I knew everything was ok. I don't know how I fell, but this woman later told me that I rolled, which is how you're supposed to fall but I can't claim credit for thinking gee, what's the best way. I was upright and walking one second, and down on the floor the next.

When I did stand up, I was shaky and asked for a chair. There was a Subway shop attached and they got me a chair and I sat there for a few minutes thinking this is the best part, and maybe the only good part, of getting old. I don't give a damn that I look like a fool sitting on a chair in the middle of a convenience store.

I saw my young strapping boy as I was walking to the restroom -- he was a customer, not an employee, and I thanked him again and said something like when I looked up and saw his arms I felt relieved that he was clearly very strong.

In the bathroom, this woman who had witnessed this scene asked me if I was OK and I said I am more embarrassed than anything and she looked a few years older than I am and she said she has a bad knee that will suddenly just go out and she'll fall and we agreed that you need a minute to catch your breath. People's impulse is to immediately get you up but you're too shaken up for that.

I was thinking later how kind people are, and I forget that sometimes. The young kid, the woman in the restroom, even the manager, who apologized again. When I was driving away, I thought beware of what you wish for. I had gotten off the highway in order to get un-groggy and I certainly accomplished that. So now, approximately six hours later, I don't have any new bruises or anything. I don't even think I put my hands out to stop myself so I'm totally OK.

One nice thing is that I didn't have to go that badly, and I was grateful for that. If I had waited too long, I would have suffered the indignity of being sprawled on the floor WHILE simultaneously wetting my pants. Now THAT would have been embarrassing. Small mercies.

Meanwhile, very pretty scenery in PA. Home tomorrow. Yay.