Falling All Over The Place

It has happened again. I fell while running to catch the bus. This time it happened on the sidewalk on the hill outside my building. I was just slightly ahead of a half dozen or so students. I made a very nice demonstration of how to fall in an embarrassing manner. The contents of my bag scattered. My body was splayed out across the cement. I could feel the shock of my fall in the people behind me. I could envision their reactions... surprise, open mouths, concern, and even amusement. A kind girl asked if I was alright. I replied "oh yeah, I'm fine. This happens to me a lot". She looked confused. Ha! I rubbed my ankle and then started to get up. I began to gather the scattered items. A boy coming up the hill saw me and asked if I was alright. Again I said I was. This time I left out the part about the frequency of my falls.

I continued on my way down the hill. My only really nice pair of shoes were scuffed, and my pants had a large scuff mark. Hopefully it is just cement dust and will come out in the wash.
Both my palms were scratched. Both ankles are sore and slightly twisted. My whole right side hurts from foot to shoulder.

I get to the bus stop (I blame the bus for all of these falls... I can never tell if the bus will be five minutes early or five minutes late so I rush just in case. This has got to stop!). I wait for my friend to meet me as we're riding home together. She arrives and I relay the story to her. She laughs. I tell a funny story. I should be a comedian. I told her that I wasn't even embarrassed about falling because it happens so often. Infact, my lack of embarrassment is embarrassing. I'm pathetic. She later tells me that a guy at the bus stop was totally amused by my story. She said while he was on the bus he would people watch and whenever he got to me he would get a small smile on his face as if remembering my story. I also suspect he was behind me on the hill when I fell.

So, what did I learn from this experience? First, buses suck. Second, never run. Third, I need to wear a helmet. Fourth, I can make a difference in others' lives. I amused that guy at the bus stop, didn't I?