I was going with my colleague for a meeting in New York. We had just exited the subway. I did not pay attention to the two-levelled pavement, lost my balance, and fell. The fall was worsened because of my heavy backpack. (As a friend put it, my centre of gravity changed.) I hit my knees against the concrete, and for a few seconds, I was in a daze. Luckily, my friend helped me up, and I examined the damage. I had a few bruises on my knees with blood coagulating fast. There was a CVS nearby and we bought some wipes and ointment to ensure things did not get worse. The good news was that I did not seem to have broken any bones. I could walk, albeit slower than my normal pace. (As my same friend put it, there were 206 bones that could have been hurt!)
Back at the hotel room after my meeting, I used an ice pack to ensure things did not get worse. I needed to ensure that I could still move around without too much discomfort. I had a flight from New York to San Francisco the next day, and 12 days still left in my trip before I returned home. I had to make sure that the ‘morning after’ situation was not bad and painful.
Thankfully, the knees settled down. There was no swelling, and I could move around. It was a near-miss. The fall had not been on the agenda! If I had hurt myself more severely, I do not know how I would have reacted. Things had gone wrong, but it wasn’t bad enough to upset my plans.
As I reflected, there were the obvious errors: not paying attention as I was walking and talking, and a loaded backpack which made it hard for me to regain balance. I also realised that I was extremely lucky that I had gotten away very lightly. By chance if I had fractured some body part, it would have been the end of the trip for me.
A second incident also brought into play how things can go wrong. At a dinner table, a wrong nudge meant some water split on the table. It just missed my iPad and notebook. Small thing, but just goes to show how at times things can happen, and in an instant, life can change.
The incidents I described were small, but the lessons are big. We all rely on things going according to plan. And yet, so many things – some beyond our control – could rearrange life in ways we don’t expect. There is much to be thankful for each day – for things that do go right. And when things go wrong, we need to accept them and do our best to come out of it. Many of the mistakes are in our control and can be avoided. I will be more careful when walking and ensure I am more aware of my surroundings. I will not keep fragile things on a crowded dinner table. And so on. And in the event that bad things do happen, do the best and move on. There is a time for regret and reflection which can be later.
This post reminded me of the simple yet powerful statement – ‘Life is all about making mistakes, living through them & evolving better from that experience. Regretting about a mistake that one makes, is never going to solve it. To stay calm & building the ability over time to constantly find solutions, will transform boys into men.’