Well, I did recently...I have to admit I laughed at myself on this. I know you are wondering why or how I would be laughing if I fell down in public. Well, I will tell you why....
I was out rollerblading because it has truly been so nice outside. I don't think I have ever fallen while rollerblading up to this point in all my years rollerblading. Now, I say that confidently, but I also say that gingerly because I have had several near miss falls, but I had not actually fallen at all until just the week before last. I had a big laugh on my fall this time for several reasons.
Why you ask did I laugh? Well first of all it was funny. Seriously funny because especially how I landed, the fact that I fell at all and thirdly the response I got from my neighbors in the neighborhood. Let me first say...NO I did not get hurt at all. But, I did get probably some laughs, some stares, and some scares from my neighbors through the whole ordeal.
Let me explain how it all started....so I was rollerblading so nicely. The weather was great, the sun was out, but not too much. The wind was blowing ever so slightly against my back. I had been rollerblading for probably about 25 minutes and so I had hit my stride and was rollerblading at a great speed on the trail in my neighborhood. I had not hit any rocks, the ground was smooth, and my skates were propelling me ever so nicely on the trails. I actually had started to hit some nice speed and was rollerblading nice and smooth.
I was coming up to the spot where I always turn around, where the trail turns to grass and there is sidewalk nearby that you can easily transition onto if you want. But, I always turn around at this spot and go back towards my house. I typically slow down just a bit, jump on the grass for a quick second then turn around and finish off my rollerblading for the day.
This time I did not slow down, I just kept my confident speed and rollerbladed directly from the paved trail to the grass. If you can only imagine, fall was an understatement....lol! I fell crazily in the grass and because I truly could not stop the momentum of the fall I knew it was happening and there was nothing I could do to prevent it. Once I fell I just lifted my legs in the air (sort of like the blog picture here) as I laughed at myself for something that truly could have been prevented. Lol!
I was laying on my back with my legs outstretched and I just laid there for several minutes as I laughed. Then I tried to get up with my heavy rollerblades and literally had to crawl to my hands and knees in the grass to get up because there was no other way to do it without falling right back down. NO, I promise you I was not hurt because I hit grass and I hit the grass not very hard at all.
I could not believe that I fell and I could not believe how I fell. I had to recount my rollerblade steps and figure out how this fall happened at all. Well, for some reason I thought I could jump to the grass without stopping my speed and without slowing my momentum. Now I knew better than that, but why did I do it?
I have no idea other than I thought my speed was slow enough to transition to the grass as I always have, but honestly I was going a lot faster than I ever do when I transition to the grass with that turn. Either way, it was a a HUGE learning lesson to slow down. Thankfully, I didn't try that stunt directly on pavement or it could have gone an entirely different direction.
The other funny part was that some of the neighbors were so surprised with my fall because they see me rollerblading all the time. But others were so worried about me, one neighbor drove up in their car as they were turning right near where I fell and they asked ever so softly & Kindly "Are you ok?"....I said back almost laughing "Oh yes, I'm ok...I just took the grass too fast."
They had no idea what a silly mistake I had made and that yes I was just fine without a bruise, scratch, or any soreness of any kind on me anywhere. I laughed so hard really about this because the way I fell if you could have seen it it was hilarious. Then the reaction I got afterwards...there are truly no words to describe the emotion some of my neighbors felt wondering if I was going to make it through my very public fall.
Was I embarrassed? No, maybe I should have been. But, I wasn't embarrassed because I actually knew what happened and why. I also realize because I am so human these things are bound to happen.
Why am I telling you this story? Because I think it is so important to always find the lessons and treasures in the ordinary things. What lessons did I learn?
Laugh more and slow down. Slowing down for me is more than just for rollerblading, but in my life in general. I can always slow down in my life and smell the roses more. I literally smelled the roses face down in the grass this time through my fall lol.
I think laughing at ourselves and to laugh period is so important. Laughing is so good for the spirit. I had been having such an amazing time rollerblading that day, but to fall also on top of it really made for an interesting day. I laughed that day and for several days on that one. I have been laughing this whole time as I have been writing this because it's such a crazy story.
When was the last time you laughed? When was the last time you slowed down to smell the roses or just see the beauty in the mundane things of life? If you do this already, congrats! If not, let's get to it! Life is amazing and there is plenty to smile and laugh about--let's find it today. If I can do it, so can you!
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