Feeling Vulnerable

I recently  – clad only in a small towel – entertained a roomful of young, strapping able-bodied men in my hotel room.  Some of them were firemen. I don’t know about you, but there”s something quite sexy about a guy who will risk his life to save another’s, as well as run to the aid of a damsel in distress (no, i didn’t mean “undress…” or maybe I did).

Intrigued? Curious? Suspicious?

Abandon your fantasies…it’s not quite as exciting as it sounds.

I was at a fabulous, beautiful resort in Arizona on assignment (one of the nice perks of my job). That morning, I’d survived a rather challenging-but-beautiful two-hour hike and couldn’t wait to wash off the sweat.  i enthusiastically grabbed my shampoo and conditioner and begun washing my hair.  Halfway through sudsing up, i realized I forgot the soap.

Oh, let me go get it, I thought.  I stepped out of the shower, hair full of suds, body dripping wet, and never quite made it to the sink.  If you’ve never slipped on a marble floor, I’ll just describe it as a TOTAL lack of control; like being on ice.  You absolutely cannot right yourself, no matter how hard you try. I must have automatically put out my hand to break the fall, and boy, did it ever.

WRIST BROKE; FALL DID NOT.

If you’re the queasy type, skip these next few sentences.

I heard the bone crack, as loud as any piercing siren . I slowly stood, my body shaking, and looked down to see a hand that wasn’t mine: twisted and deformed, hanging off my wrist.

What happened next?

I got back into the shower, thinking I’d finish, wash the suds out of my hair, and clean up for the paramedics.

Don’t want to leave you all hanging… but I must continue this some time later.  I haven’t quite gotten the hang of typing with just one finger and it’s just wearing me out. Excuse me for now while I follow doctor’s orders, and sit down to elevate my purple, sausage-like fingers.

PS. Please forgive any typos. I have a good excuse.

PPS. I try, whenever possible, to make lemons out of lemonade. So, in case you are thoroughly depressed or just not into hearing about other people’s misery, I’m thinking of including some uplifting thoughts in my next post. If you have any you’d like to share, take it away!