Anatomy of a Fall… by Larry Fields

Three weeks ago, I left the house telling my wife I was going to Lowe’s in Bristol to walk. It never happened!
As I came close to Sugar Hollow Park, it suddenly dawned on me that it was a beautiful day for a walk in the park. (Unfortunately, I had forgotten my unbreakable, lightweight hiking pole I had purchased at a Hiking Shop in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 35 years previous) But vanity being what it is, I wanted to swing my arms so my Apple watch would display fireworks when I attained my exercise goal.
So, parking at the upper end where it necessitated that I walk a steep hill first . . . I got tired rather quickly. I had been holed up too long!
My one-lap walk was winding down when I noticed that if I went one way, I would need to navigate several puddles of water. I decided to take the longer route . . . feeling more tired with each step. I noticed the water puddles were still there with the only way to pass being through, I began to pitch forward. . . just a little. With no bench, pole, or tree in sight, I pressed on, staggering through the puddles. Berating myself for not having my hiking pole.
But just then, there was a small bench that was just beyond the shimmering waters. Too late, for dizziness overtook me, and I landed face first on unfinished concrete, actually more like a four-point landing, for knees, hands, nose, and face balanced out my fall, and I watched as a pool of blood formed at my feet.
With ringing ears and excruciating pain, I attempted to stand. Nope! It wasn’t going to happen.
Suddenly, like in a movie script, four angels were on the scene. The first was a 92-year-old woman named Lizzie. I had talked to her many times on previous walks.
“Larry, are you alright?” she asked, walking up on her cane as she extended a hand of comfort.
And then, in rapid-fire fashion, three other angels appeared. One was a nurse in uniform who had just arrived on the scene to walk. She suggested calling 911.
But then two men showed up, intent on helping in any way they could. With great effort, the two men got me to my unsteady feet, and I apologized for bleeding on them.
“We don’t care if you get blood on us,” all four said as one, and a drop or two of blood fell on their shoes. Kind of overwhelming goodness and helpfulness. Brought a tear that was lost in the pool of blood.
One man, Jack, had a little black terrier and had been walking. He called me by name, and then I recognized both him and the dog. We had met two years previously at Sugar Hollow Park. I had walked up beside him and his little dog as we walked past the new dog enclosure…
We didn’t know what to think when a huge Pit Bull began growling menacingly at Jack’s little dog from inside the enclosure…

And then, like a flash, the Pit Bull came under the chain-link fence, as Jack picked up his little black dog with a protecting embrace.
In a flash, the Pit Bull leaped at the dog in Jack’s arms, inflicting injury on both.
Quickly dropping his little dog to the ground, Jack, who has biceps like Hulk Hogan, and was as angry as I ever saw the Hulk, pounded the Pit Bull in the face! The reeling dog was then rescued by the two owners, who came out and put it on a leash.
“Come on, Jack!” I told my new friend. “My wife’s car is just under the hill, and we have a First-Aid Kit.”
Quickly arriving at the car, my wife Sandy and I administered first aid as best we could, but it was plain to see that a trip to the ER was on the horizon for both.}
Back at the scene of my untimely fall. As the four angels lifted me onto a small bench meant for keeping up with the score at the nearby ball field. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.
Just then, my phone dropped out of the pouch of my hooded sweatshirt, and Jack picked it up and handed it to me. Fascinated at the pool of blood forming at my feet, I immediately took a picture of it—documentation, I suppose.
When they asked if they should call 911, I told them to just call my wife, Sandy. Jack did, but she thought it was a joke at first. But then I started talking, and she realized it was dead on serious. She arrived at Sugar Hollow in less than ten minutes!
And ten minutes after that, Sandy pulled up to the ER at Bristol Regional Medical Center. I was hurting, and both of us were scared. What a mess I had gotten us into this time!
To be continued…