It’s time for another post that means nothing and has no real substance…but needs to be blogged. For some reason I have been incredibly clumsy the last week or so. I pride myself on being careful when I walk and making sure I don’t take unplanned steps…but not this week.
It started at the Lebanese restaurant. I’ve been in there a hundred times, but this time was different. Due to how often I frequent the establishment (amazing food and I like the guys that work there) I know the staff. When I walked into the door I made eye contact with the manager and was walking toward him to shake his hand…when the base of their sign jumped out and tripped me. Immediate pain. As I tried to regain my balance I put my foot down really quickly…too quickly in fact. The front of my sandal caught the ground and catapulted me towards the manager…who caught me as I was trying to get my balance. I hit the sign hard enough with my shin to leave a piece of skin with some hair on it just chillin’ on the sign. I looked at the manager and said, “Un moment” and walked outside to ‘walk it off’. I took a few seconds to get some fresh air and then headed back in. My embarrassment the first time around kept me from noticing everybody watching me, but this trip it was evident that my Italian-football-player-like flop into the restaurant attracted quite a bit of interest. My friend Mo who works there came running up the stairs and told me that the manager (who caught me) told him that “his American friend had hurt his leg.” Mo insisted that I put some ice on it and sit down…He insisted…He’s Lebanese…they insist sometimes…and it was very nice of him. He sat me at a table with two other Lebanese men who were having lunch. Awkward. American young guy makes scene and falls into restaurant. Bleeds. Sits with strangers while icing injury in shame. To top it off…Mo found a band-aid that was so big I could have parachuted with it. I told him that my leg was to wet to put it on at the moment, but I really didn’t want to wear it as I was handing out ‘cool points’ left and right.
Since then…I have tripped three other times on stairs. Once after playing basketball…going up stairs. Once on the escalator while trying to pass a guy…And tonight after a picnic on the river…going up stairs in front of a bunch of people carrying our grocery cart full of stuff. Certainly not a graceful week…
My shin is healing up nicely from the Lebanese restaurant incident…the next time I go in there I’m going to put that massive band-aid on my leg and limp in there like it’s still really hurt…just to give them something to laugh about…if I’m convincing enough maybe I’ll get some free baklava out of the deal! I’ll let you know…
Hahaha! I fall in Madrid all the time–it makes me feel like I stand out as the big, clumsy American. Once I got my backpack caught in a bus door and rode that way for 7 minutes. Once I went airborne and body checked a guy into the wall of the metro. Most recently I fell on the marble steps at the movie theater.
Think of it this way…you made everyone in that restaurant’s day!
Hope your leg is better.
That’s awesome! Sorry for war wound but it’s a great story nonetheless. Isn’t Lebanese food the best! Bigelow and I found a great little place in Sac-town before I moved, I wish I were there right now… thanks for the light-hearted laugh you gave me with this story, but I hope the clumsies are fleeing from you soon.