Confession: I have a tendency to trip and fall.
Yes, if anyone in my family is going to trip over a step or crack or stray rock, it’s usually me.
In fact, I did just that last weekend at a wedding. After the ceremony and pictures, I pushed open the heavy wooden door of a beautiful old chapel. I lifted my face to bask in the bright spring sunshine, the warm breeze, and the waft of blooming lilacs.
I wasn’t watching where I was going, and before I knew what was happening, I tripped down a lone stone step and landed on my hands and knees on the sidewalk. In my long, sleek dress. In front of the other wedding guests. With all my family trailing behind me and gasping (and giggling) at their mom having yet another mishap.
Of course, I scrambled up and tried to pretend I’d just gone down to draw in a deep breath of the sweet cut grass. (I don’t think anyone believed me!) And I tried to smile and ignore the stinging of my knees and the blood oozing down my legs.
But truthfully, my heart shriveled with embarrassment at my klutzy moment of falling flat on my face in front of so many well-dressed people, at such a formal occasion, among family I hadn’t seen in ages.
Not too many months ago, while I was out running in my neighborhood, I tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and landed on my knees. I hoped my friends thought I’d simply stopped to do a few stretches.
Believe it or not, the very same thing happened again weeks later, thankfully in a different neighborhood.
The worst fall in recent history was when I was hiking with my family in the UP of Michigan along the very rocky shores of Lake Huron. (Cringe. I’m sure you can see where this is leading!)
My daughters and I sitting on the ROCKY shore of Lake Huron.
As dark storm clouds rolled in, my husband and I decided to speed up the hike by giving our then young twin daughters piggy back rides. Surprise, surprise, I tripped. But because I was using my hands to hold my daughter on my back, I had nothing to brace the fall.
I won’t go into the gory details, except to say that I landed on one of those very sharp rocks, gouged open a huge chunk of flesh on my knee, and had to walk quite a distance holding the flapping skin together until we could find help. Yes, that time I had to get quite a few stitches.
What has all the tripping and falling taught me?
To be more careful?
Well, obviously not . . . since I still seem to trip and fall at the worst possible moments. 🙂
But it has taught me a few lessons in humility.
I often struggle with the sin of pride. God knew he’d need a way to keep me from being too puffed up with myself. I think every so often he lets me trip just so I can remember that I’m not “all that.”
Sometimes I trip emotionally too. There are times when I get a bad book review, or fail to final in a contest, or my author ranking drops. Those are humbling moments that sting like a painful stumble to my knees.
Just like the physical falls keep a check on our pride, God can use the emotional stumbles to keep us from thinking we’re more than we really are, to spur us to try harder, and to encourage us to work for His glory and not our own.
So what about YOU? Have you had any embarrassing falls (or moments) lately? Please tell all! We’d love to laugh commiserate with you!
Jody Hedlund
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Jody, I can so relate to your post. I’m a klutz. I was told once by someone that all ballerinas are klutzes. I took ballet for seven years, so that is now my excuse. Did you take ballet lessons? Maybe you can use that excuse too. 😉
Hi Robin, I actually never did take dance lessons! So I’m sorry to say that I can’t use that as an excuse! What a bummer! LOL 🙂
My condolences. I also know how to swoon like any historical heroine worth her salt. Last time I did it, I shattered my ankle. I now have two plates and nine screws from the experience. But I don’t think that comes under the heading of “klutz.” 😛
Wow, Jody! Those are some painful falls. I used to fall a lot on college, bloody knees and all. I seemed to grow out of that phase. I am, however, prone to some ugly trips. I usually catch myself, but the trip itself is quite dramatic and embarrassing. Falling is almost better in a way, because at least people can show their concern. There’s nothing to do about a trip, however.
*in college. This is what I get for typing too fast!
Hi Courtney,
Lucky for you that you’ve grown out of your klutzy stage! I wish I could make my tripping more graceful, but unfortunately mine usually end up in a fall! 🙂
I can relate to that
When I was in middle and high school years I feel alot and my parents would always tell me that the reason I fall is because I don’t watch what I am doing or watch where I am going. I husband use to tell me that. Now I watch what I am doing and where I am going. The last time I feel was the winter before last. I feel down real hard on ice on side and hit the side of my head and got up and keep going. The good news there wasn’t any blood. Everyone kept asking me if I was ok and I said I was fine. I got up and keep going.
Hi Tara, Ice is especially hard on us klutzy people! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fallen on ice or snow! 🙂 So you’re not alone.
I’ve been there, Jody. Both physically and emotionally. My scariest fall was when I was holding my infant son after Sunday church and we were walking down a flight of cement stairs. I was wearing my church dress and flats that had slick soles, and since I was holding a baby, I had no hands for the railing. Thankfully I was halfway to the bottom when the mishap occurred. My foot slid out from under me. With no free hands to brace myself and wanting to protect my son at all costs, I plopped straight down on my rear and bounced over several steps until my feet hit the landing below. My bottom and my pride were horribly bruised. But my relief that my son was safe and unharmed outweighed any physical or emotional discomfort.
I’m a master at rationalizing and giving myself positive spin (hence my own struggles with pride), so in my head at least, I’ve given the event heroic status. I sacrificed my bum to save my son. LOL. I was still a clumsy clod to slip in the first place, but I choose not to dwell on that part. 😉
Hi Karen,
Your story about falling down your steps with your son when he was a baby reminds me of a similar fall I had when my twins were babies. Believe it or not, I was carrying them both down the basement steps. I, too, slipped and bobbled one of them! Fortunately I was able to keep my grip! But the incident scared me and after that I only carried one down the steps at a time! 🙂
I was 7 months pregnant. My husband and I had worked all day packing up our house to move from South Carolina to Oklahoma. (I know…you’re thinking why would ANYONE move from SC to OK? Well, that’s another post! But I will say…nightmare!!!) We were planning on staying with some friends that night and then leaving early the next morning. As we were pulling into our friends driveway I reminded my husband that they had a big speed bump looking thing in their driveway and to be careful not to trip over it. It was very dark and we climbed out of the big moving truck rather slowly and I proceeded to waddle up the driveway (I’m sure you can see where this is going). All of a sudden I was down on my hands and knees. And yes, I tripped over the very thing I had just warned my husband about just seconds before. Talk about a dunce!!! The “speed bump” (still unsure why it was there…maybe to keep foot traffic to a slow medium) was made of asphalt so it just ripped through my knees and palms. Let me end this “trip” down memory lane by saying it was a painful ride the next day. Everytime I got out of the moving truck to stretch my legs both of the wounds on my knees would reopen! Ouch! :'(
Hi Tammy,
I’m glad that the only thing that hurt was your knees! Considering you were seven months pregnant, it could have been worse. 🙂
I have redefine the term “graceful.” The question isn’t if I will trip, but when it will happen again. The last “big” fall I had was while we were visiting Arizona. We were playing miniature golf and, if you have ever been to Arizona, you know that there is very little grass, only rock lawns, so needless to say, the miniature golf course was the same. Yes, you guessed it, I slipped in the rocks and scraped, not only my knee, but most of my thigh. The scrape was so large,that the only bandage, in the our first aid kit, able to cover it was the rolled bandage. By the time my mother and sister had wrapped it, I looked like a casualty from the Civil War.
I still trip, although I am generally able to catch myself, I look around wondering if it was witnessed by anyone other than God. Last night, I checked into a hotel to study for my final and tripped getting into the elevator. And yes, I looked to see if anyone witnessed my graceful entry. Fortunately, no one but God and I know it occurred.
I agree, these tripping and falling moments do tend to keep me humble. They also keeping me from doing many things that require true graceful movements. Robin, I did take ballet. It lasted for a year, I have never had what some would refer to as rhythm. In fact, I am the “whitest” girl I know, I can’t even find the beat in a song. This talent made marching band very challenging.
I take comfort in knowing, that like Chumba Wumba, (“I get knocked down, but I get up again,”) that every time I fall, God is there to pick me back up and brush me off.
Hi Debra,
I laughed at your description of bandages looking like a casualty from the Civil War! The image made my historical author heart just smile! 🙂
Dora! So sorry! I’m not sure why I typed Debra!
Twenty-eight years ago, I had my baby nephew perched on my shoulder as I descended the stairs in our home. It was dusk, and no lights were on. Andrew was on my right shoulder, same side as the handrail, so I couldn’t hang on. I missed the last step. My only thought was to save the baby. My hip felt like it was on fire for an hour. Andrew enjoyed the fast ride down and laughed, until my mom and sister rushed over, asking if we were all right. Then he cried.
Hi Terri,
It’s amazing what we do to protect the children we’re carrying! It’s like our instinct kicks in and we’re willing to get hurt in order to protect them!
Aw, Jody, I definitely relate. My husband is always calling me his Klutzy Katers, I’ve got such a reputation for it. Not just falling but anything in general. I once managed to punch myself in the face with the back of my hand while getting dressed (still not sure how I did that, my hand slipped while pulling up my pants I think?) but since I have a perforated septum my nose is extremely sensitive and I gave myself a bloody nose. I also once stubbed my toe on absolutely nothing – just walking along barefoot over carpet and next thing I know I’m stumbling across the room and my big toe is aching. I’ve fractured a few toes more than once. I saw the doctor about it the first time but he said there wasn’t much he could do and to be careful. I have also fallen down stairs and twisted my ankle. So I tend to avoid high, steep places and am always very cautious on even the slightest slope now. With my history the amazing thing is that fractured toes, bloody knees/toes/hands and twisted ankles are the worst of my injuries! Except the following…
The biggest incident was back in college about 15 years ago. The campus is home to several beautiful waterfalls, most of which you have to hike through the woods to get to. I was at one of the more remote falls, a good 15/20 minute hike back, with my roommate and the young man who would someday be my husband (we weren’t yet a couple at the time). We hung out at the falls for a while – it’s a gentle, lower waterfall so it was popular to walk out on the rocks, wade through the water above the falls and so on. We were just finishing up and starting to head to the trail, back down the rocks on the side of the falls. My not-yet-husband was several yards ahead and my roommate was just behind me when I suddenly slipped on the rocks. I spun around as I fell, trying to break my fall, and landed with a bang, my forehead bashing into the rocks. I remember my roommate screaming and I immediately tried to sit up to let her know I was alright. Except the moment I picked up my head, the world spun and went black and I immediately laid back down on the rocks, telling her I was okay but that I had better stay still for a minute. They both scrambled to get to me and realized I was bleeding pretty badly from my forehead. My not-yet-husband gave us his shirt for the bleeding and then took off to get help while my roommate stayed with me. Other than a headache I didn’t feel too bad but I was afraid to try sitting up again after the last time. It’s funny because my biggest concern was the paramedics seeing me covered in blood, so I insisted my roommate try to clean me up as much as possible, using water from the falls and the t-shirt. Teens and their priorities, right? 😉 We learned later that when my not-yet-husband got back on campus he burst into the nearest dormitory, which was a ladies dorm, shouting for a phone and an ambulance. Those girls got quite a start – lol. He finally showed up with the paramedics and they got the bleeding mostly stopped. By then I was feeling quite a bit better and was able to walk back with them. I’ve always thought they were probably very relieved not to have to carry me back on the stretcher through the windy trail. I ended up with 4-5 stitches, a vague scar and an exciting story! 🙂 We went back to those falls several times over the years but my friends always hovered over me rather closely. Oh, and can you guess the spot my husband picked for his proposal a few years later?
Oh my goodness! First I was laughing about you punching yourself in the face! LOL But then I was amazed at your story about cutting yourself by the waterfall! Sounds like the makings of a great story to go into a contemporary romance book! Especially the part about your husband later proposing in that exact spot! That is totally romantic! 🙂
Jody! I can’t believe you chose this topic for your Post tonight and me having sent you the latest update earlier this evening.LOL. Oh my friend! I can sooo sympathise with you and for everyone else who has or will make a comment about their falls.
I had to smile at your description but I can understand just how embarrassed you must have felt.
Apart from my recent falls in the last two years(which I’m desperately trying to forget they ever happened) my most embarrassing ones were at work, when I was a student nurse(longer than I care to remember.:)
On one occasion, I happened to be on night duty and I was doing our routine rounds with the torch. As most people will realise, it takes a little while for eyes to adjust to the dark. Well, as I came out from behind the patient’s curtain, I walked three steps and suddenly found myself in mid air along with the sphygmomanometer(a machine for reading patients blood pressures) and down on the floor we crashed, As if the noise wasn’t bad enough, I lay there with broken glass and worse still a mercury spill all over the floor… extremely hazardous! Any nurse or anyone who has ever broken a thermometer will know exactly what it’s like….little silver balls breaking up into a million more pieces and impossible to clean up, so imagine the size of the sphygmo in comparison. The vacuum used in such circumstances was brought up to the ward but to no avail…the only solution was to call in the fire brigade and they duly arrived much to my great embarrassment and I was also panicking at the mere thought of facing the Director of Nursing when my shift ended . Our patients were duly evacuated and the “firies” began removing the mercury spill with none other than duck tape. (if Tammy A is reading your Post,Jody, I will NEVER live this down..I’ve given her heaps about duck tape in the past)The tape was meticulously torn off and placed over the mercury and then lifted with the mercury clinging to it. The entire room was rid of the mercury in this manner and it took forever, or so it seemed to me. By 9:00AM the entire hospital knew what had happened and as word filtered through and into the classroom for the new students, I was held up as an example of what NOT TO DO on nights!
I was a jibbering wreck as I stood outside the DON’S door, praying desperately that things would be ok but how could that be, when I knew it was curtains for me and my nursing career was over, all in a space of six short weeks and how was I going to afford to pay for the damage!
However, instead of being given my marching orders, much to my great amazement, I was treated very kindly and reassured that accidents happen and let it be a lesson to every one not to leave hazardous objects in the middle of the ward and especially for unsuspecting students on night duty!
I can truly say that God hadn’t abandoned me and I can only assume he had a little chat to the DON too.:)
Years later, I am still nursing at that hospital…and yes, that story is still upheld in the students classroom. LOL
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Hi Rosie!
I’m amazed at all of the “fall” stories here on the blog today! And here I thought I was klutzy! 🙂 These stories make me look like a floating angel! At least with your story, you’ve gotten to redeem yourself with all the lessons that came from it for other students!
Sadly, my mother just got out of the hospital from a fall, hitting her head for the 4th or 5th time in the last few years. These falls have altered her thinking and her personality. She has neuropathy in both her legs from diabetes. She’s also had falls due to mini strokes, one resulting in a broken hip. Didn’t mean to be a downer, but it’s been on my mind and my mother is 79 but continues to want to be independent and live alone. I did convince her to use a medic alert necklace which saved her on her last fall. When you say your prayers, please lift my mother up. Her name is Ruth.
Hi Gail,
I’m so sorry to hear about your mother’s falls. My grandmother had to move to a nursing home (from assisted living) for the very same reason. She just kept falling and hurting herself. I will say a prayer for Ruth!
Jody, I’ve definitely learned that I can count on God to humble me. As you noted, He has his ways to keep all of us on our knees (literally and figuratively). 🙂
I love the genuine-ness (is that a word? if not it should be) of your posts.
Hi Becky,
I’ve come to accept that God’s lessons in humility are really a good thing for me, even if they are a bit painful while I’m going through them (both literally and figuratively)! 🙂
So happy to meet all these fellow klutzes! My guaranteed klutz moment is any time I try to do something athletic. I’ve never been an athlete, but my entire rest of my family is, so they often try to get me shooting baskets or playing volleyball or whatever. Write it down––if I try to play a sport, I WILL get hurt…fall, break a thumb, sprain an ankle, etc.
However, after reading Jody’s post, and some of these comments, I feel downright graceful. 😉
I hear you, Deb! After reading about many of the falls in the other comments, I’m not feeling quite so klutzy anymore! 🙂
Loved your post, Jody!!
Yes, I’m a fellow “klutz” and like Deborah – have never been an athlete. Guess I’m a bit like Karen in that I don’t feel some of my “adventures” are my fault. I’ve been knocked off a horse backwards (didn’t know how to steer it, as a child, and ran into a clothesline), had to have roller skates cut off my feet (learning to skate side-by-side with a teen-age friend, we were knocked down and our skates locked together), had my eye swollen shut by a softball (which my 4 year old cousin bat, I was 12), had my collarbone broken when a mentally-challenged classmate (who was on my back during the formation of a pyramid in P.E.) relaxed her body before given the signal by our teacher, had my face ripped open by a rooster (when I was a toddler) – and the list goes on and on with some much more serious incidents such as a near-drowning (when I slid off rocks I was sitting on, in water, and didn’t know how to swim – at a church camp) as a teen-ager, and near-asphyxiation, as a child (my father’s tractor motor was running, while in the garage – under the house).
As I’ve aged, I’ve developed arthritis (probably from the numerous times I’ve fallen on my knees, as you have – Jody) and my mobility has become limited. As I’m physically unable to engage in many of my prior activities, the “klutz” moments have decreased – I also have to carefully watch the steps I take now. I guess that’s one small advantage of aging and physical problems (LOL)!!
Jody, I loved your comment re: how God allows you to fall to remind you that you’re not “all that”!! That’s very possibly true and a lesson in humility that many people, at times, need – including myself!! Thanks for your post!!
Hi Bonnie,
Wow! With all of your accidents, it’s amazing you survived your childhood and teenage years! 🙂 At least now it sounds like things have calmed down a bit (and your life isn’t filled with such danger!). Hope that it stays accident-free!
Jody, I’m sorry about all the pain your falls have caused, but please know you are not alone (as you can see by all these comments). 😉 I, too, am a klutz and a proud(?) member of KA (Klutzes Anonymous) – – LOL.
My worst—and scariest—falls happened only months after my 4 spinal surgeries. Both times I slipped on water (from the cats’ bowl) on the kitchen floor, and went down HARD. Thank the Lord I didn’t do any serious damage, but both times it was quite painful. The 2nd fall was worse, because I was holding a glass candy dish. Of course it broke and cut my hand, causing blood. That fall also knocked the breath out of me and I felt dazed. When I finally hobbled from the kitchen to our foyer, my son (he’d been upstairs and had no idea I’d fallen) looked down at me from upstairs – – bent over with blood on my hand and arm. Needless to say, he was very concerned—but I reassured him Mom was fine. 🙂
I’ve actually read that people who have to take thyroid medicine tend to be klutzy – – so I use that as my excuse. 😉
Thanks again, Jody, and have a wonderful, “fall-free” weekend!
Hi Patti Jo,
I’ve found myself thinking about you and all of your cats over the past couple of weeks since my last post (and after reading your comment about all your cats!). So it totally didn’t surprise me today to hear that some of your falls have come as a result of those dear cats! LOL And yes, please, sign me up for KA! 🙂
Definitely can relate to the feeling of tripping emotionally.
Eeek! Hearing stories of people physically falling — especially cases in which children are involved — is making me cringe! ( I cannot even bring myself to thoroughly read these comments.) Lord have mercy, I despise falling.