On Falling

Gravity sucks

Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
– Proverbs 16:18

Let’s talk about falls, shall we?

After telling the story of my own fall, it’s been interesting to see the number of people sharing their own stories of gravity being a bitch. It’s happening much more frequently than perhaps we realize.

And I think that’s something worth paying closer attention to.

Falling

A friend reminded me of a fall a couple of years ago, where they initially didn’t realize they’d broken several ribs.

Another told me of a fall down some stairs at a remote cabin, landing on granite, and then rolling into some bushes, fortunately with minimal injuries.

Another told of taking my situation to heart, being very careful carrying some items to their car, only to roll their ankle off a curb at the last minute and land hard on their knee.

My favorite comment on my original story is “Three of my absolute worst accidents were from carrying shit down stairs and not minding my goddamned feet. All were spectacular events.”

I’ve also heard the other story as well: after hearing of my situation, at least one friend elected to make two trips with smaller boxes rather than a single, riskier carry. If my example is useful for anything, this is the kind of impact I’m OK with.

Attention

One of the common threads, I think, is that we’re all aging, and we’re not necessarily paying as close attention to the implications of what that means. I know I don’t (or, rather, I didn’t) feel 68, and thus didn’t pay an appropriate level of attention to my steps as I carried the ill-fated laundry bin. Why would I?

Well, I know the answer to that question now: feel it or not, I am 68, and like it or not, that implies certain things about my physical capabilities.

It’s simply too easy to keep on keeping on as if nothing is changing, when in reality everything is constantly changing, albeit slowly.

In my case, at least, I don’t feel it’s intentional or that I’m in some kind of denial. It’s not the “pride” part of the proverb that’s tripping me up, so to speak. It’s simple mindfulness and an awareness of reality. It’s paying attention.

Even a small modicum of attention would have me approach certain things differently, and perhaps even look to take measures to strengthen certain types of movement, or avoid others. The fact is that left to their own devices, balance and strength decline as we age. Simple exercises — including those that I find myself doing as part of my current physical therapy — can have a disproportionate positive impact, keeping us safer and more stable, longer.

Problem? What problem?

Though, of course, there are those for whom denial is the go-to response.

That seems worse than simply not paying attention. At least if it’s an oversight, it’s something you can be open to correcting. Denial allows for no such approach. If you don’t believe there’s a problem, then there’s nothing to fix, improve, or compensate for. It’s frustrating because many people view acknowledging the risk as a form of “giving up”, when it’s anything but. If anything, it’s an opportunity to do exactly the opposite: take proactive steps to stay more independent, and more mobile, longer.

The fact is, falls are a major and increasing risk as we age, and the results can be devastating. My dad’s a great example. He hated using his walker, even though we cautioned him often. Sure enough, eventually he fell, broke his hip, and spent the rest of his life in a nursing home.

Unfortunately for so many of us that don’t feel our age, that’s a “it’ll never happen to me” story. Until it does.

I tried hard to embrace, or at least not resist, using a walker during my recovery. That’s in part because of witnessing my dad’s experience. Fortunately, I’ve legitimately moved on to where I don’t need it.

Do this

If you take away anything from my experience, and perhaps the experiences of others, let it be this: pay attention.

• Make more, smaller trips when carrying things.
• Grasp the handrail.
• Watch your step.
• Slow down.

You get the idea. Regardless of your age, you’re not too young to be safe. Either way, pay attention to your movements, understand your strengths and weaknesses, and incorporate that into your day-to-day.

The “cost of failure” can be very high. The “cost” of staying safe, however, is rarely as bad as you might think it is, and it’s probably worth every cent.

Naturally, there are many (MANY) resources out there on this topic. I’ll include this from AARP: 11 Fall-Prevention Tips to Keep Your Home Hazard-Free.