Slips, Trips and Falls
Once I went with my grandpa and his girlfriend to a free movie at their old-people clubhouse (because I was under 65 it cost $1 for me). An old lady slipped and fell in the lobby after the movie let out. Another old lady was paying so much attention to her and not where she was going, that SHE tripped and fell. I saw the whole thing. She didn't get up. I think she broke her hip. Her dress went up - not just above her knees, which would have been enough for someone of her generation, but above her waist. EVERYONE was staring at her laying there with her granny panties exposed and she just closed her eyes as tears rolled out.
I am endlessly amused when people trip or fall, and have talked about this before, I think. I could tell you today about a spectacular fall I saw a year and a half ago, and I'll start laughing so hard I'll almost pee in my pants. I have called friends only to say "I gotta tell you about this trip I just saw!" I never laugh when friends trip or fall. Though once my friend's daughter tripped and fell and we both laughed, but then the little girl cried harder and said "Why are you laughing at me?!" and I felt awful and vowed to never laugh at her again and I haven't.
This old lady on the floor was not going to be added to my reel of good trips and falls to remember for my amusement. Because this was not funny. She was humiliated. She was in pain. I felt horribly for the old lady with the dress up around her waist. She was just laying there, and all the other old people were just walking around her on their way out, gawking at her.
"Come on, Green" is what I got from my grandpa. In my family, the (somewhat) unspoken mantra has always been "Don't get involved." I don't know why. I've asked why, and not gotten any solid answer. But we look, and never touch. Even when good things happen and I've wanted to send a letter praising someone, it's been discouraged. I don't understand.
I stepped over to the woman, tugged her dress down as close to her knees as I could get it, and rejoined my grandpa. It was the least involved I could stand to be.
I am endlessly amused when people trip or fall, and have talked about this before, I think. I could tell you today about a spectacular fall I saw a year and a half ago, and I'll start laughing so hard I'll almost pee in my pants. I have called friends only to say "I gotta tell you about this trip I just saw!" I never laugh when friends trip or fall. Though once my friend's daughter tripped and fell and we both laughed, but then the little girl cried harder and said "Why are you laughing at me?!" and I felt awful and vowed to never laugh at her again and I haven't.
This old lady on the floor was not going to be added to my reel of good trips and falls to remember for my amusement. Because this was not funny. She was humiliated. She was in pain. I felt horribly for the old lady with the dress up around her waist. She was just laying there, and all the other old people were just walking around her on their way out, gawking at her.
"Come on, Green" is what I got from my grandpa. In my family, the (somewhat) unspoken mantra has always been "Don't get involved." I don't know why. I've asked why, and not gotten any solid answer. But we look, and never touch. Even when good things happen and I've wanted to send a letter praising someone, it's been discouraged. I don't understand.
I stepped over to the woman, tugged her dress down as close to her knees as I could get it, and rejoined my grandpa. It was the least involved I could stand to be.
posted by Green at 5/17/2006 10:25:00 PM
8 Comments:
You are good people, Green.
I'm also a laugher-at-fallers. It's an involuntary reaction. With the kids, I've learned to hesitate first, see if they're actually hurt--THEN laugh. But it was a hard thing to retrain myself to do.
I could bring much laughter into you life. I'm forever tripping over something.
(#)"6 I am great in extreme situations. Having a heart attack? I’m the random person you want standing next to you."
-apparently falling down doesn't count.
911 had already been called. I'm not a doctor, an EMT or anything else in the medical field. I should not have moved her. I tried to address her dignity issue.
We must laugh at people falling down. I am an endless source of joy around here. I walk backwards and run into things. GG has my genes and also must walk backwards and turn around just in time to run into a counter with her eye, then fall down.
I think it is lovely that you helped her with her dress. The humiliation is just to real.
One of my neighbors is crippled (he walks on those crutches which have arm braces). We were driving, and we saw him lying in a busy road, stuck like a bug on its back. We pulled over illegally and ran over. He was so fucking humiliated and miserable. We picked him up and put him on the sidewalk, and he didn't even want to look us in the eye out of embarrassment. I feel so undeservedly lucky to be able bodied.
No escalator nearby, but you are a real mench ! Prappy !
Please realize that the behavior of one member of your family does not automatically mean that the others would do the same. Remember years past!
You didn't just walk away!
Atagirl!!!
That's your mom at 2:11, huh?
Man, I'd be so annoyed if my deep-in-denial mommy felt the need to post anonymous comments in my blog. Especially if I wasn't allowed to blog about her.
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