Today is my first “falling” anniversary.
The photo says it all, except that I didn’t fall exactly that way. Rolling? Not so.
It has been a year since that fateful day. It was busy/tax season then, I was getting an average of an hour sleep. I was working almost 24/7. For a time, my teammates and I were closing (literally) the whole floor, the guard would check on us, “how many of you are still there?” “We’re 3!” Rarely alone, but that happened. I/ we were signaled to leave the office when we noticed that our colleagues were already freshly bathed and pushed while we were graciously up with our oily faces, but hopefully still smelled good. To be specific, we were going home that season at 3am (normal) and 7am (almost normal). And we were back to office at 9am, at most 10am. So were just “boarders” at home just to bathe, other hygiene stuff, etc.
I loved that life. We actually never complained to the point that we hated it. But ocassionally, we (and other people) were asking ourselves, “why I am here?” “get some life!”, and we joke on the situation. At the end of the day, we know that we love the pressure, the challenge, and that kind of life is actually a hard phase to break that you would actually miss it when you experience slack moments.
It has been a year. At 330am, my pal and I were at the ground floor ready to go home. After the guard’s station, everyone need to take at least 6 steps downstairs more to get off the building. I was unaware I was already taking a “nap” while walking with my 2-inch heeled shoes. I walked, doing my last step from the stairs. I didn’t know there were still 2 or 3 steps more. So, I fell. It happened so fast. I was already “awaken” by my sweet fall. I was there lying on the floor. My pal asked, “____, where are you?” And saw me, laughed at me, and actually wished to have taken a video of my falling! Anyways, I was helped to get up. That scene still makes me smile whenever I remember that. I could have reacted the same way if I had been the observer. Fools!
My right foot was swollen. Just when you thought I would be on a sick leave, no, I cannot. Of course, I love my work. I went back to the office after few hours as if nothing happened. Except that I said goodbye to my heeled shoes and wore flats and slippers (while inside the office) that week. People asked why I was walking like a disabled person and plainly said, “I fell”. It was tiresome to declare that reason and sort of embarrassing to disclose the details to a few.
That phase in my life gave me a number of realizations. I was walking and crossed paths with two physically impaired people, same day. That moment I stopped my mind-complaining of the aches, discomfort of the situation, rushing to feel better, etc. I thank God that I was just temporarily impaired. The more I emphatized for the others. I learned to be extra cautious, that includes not taking a nap while walking. For several months, I feared taking the underpass/halls, psychologically I had no fear getting up but just going down. But I am back to normal now. I still slid a couple of times before coming here. But I always make sure I have someone to hold on/ catch me when I fall. Thanks, peeps for the help (you know who you are).
Oh, I remember, because I was so busy at work (or afraid to know further injuries?) I only had that foot subjected to x-ray test during the annual physical exams.
Happy weekend!
Two friends tried to fool me that day and they failed, but Gmail, huh! You got me, the formula, the 
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