Yesterday I paused at the top of the stairs. In my arms were my laptop and camera cables.
When my balance gets unsteady I do what anybody would do - I reach out. But my hands were full. There was nothing close enough to just lean against for even a moment.
Seeing all the possibilities turns out to be a handicap sometimes and making choices is not the thing I do best. But between tumbling twelve feet into the foyer or backwards where I teetered - well it didn't take a lot of time to decide.
Which was a good thing since I didn't have a lot to spare. I threw my weight backwards and landed hard. It was better than the other options!
OK, so accidents happen. Why write about it in a blog about creativity and connecting?
Because there's a silver lining in pretty much everything, even a fall. This one helped me because since it happened I've have some time to think - in a more or less horizontal position.
Maybe the fall shook some brain chemistry into place but however it happened other connections started to occur to me including that what happens every day seems more and more a corollary for life in general.
Plus the social media community is awakening awareness of the importance of interconnectivity, being helpful, doing good.
But sometimes it works just the opposite to how we think it should.
It can happen that we're the ones in need of a hand to steady us instead of the other way around. That can be hard to get used to and some of us don't accept a hand outstretched as easily as we could.
So the lessons I'm taking from this are:
We all need something one way or another; so reach out when you can. Even when it means allowing someone else to support you instead of the other way around.
It's handy to have something to steady us; know that and plan for possibilities.
Falls are inevitable.
If you have a choice, do what you can to make life's negatives as painless as possible.
Oh - and maybe there's another lesson that's more practical and preventative.
Like put the laptop, cooling pad and camera cables in the rolling bag instead of juggling them - open - down the stairs while in fuzzy sock-feet.
Psst - You might want to call your mom and remind her she's not superwoman. Just don't tell her I told you.
