[at-l] Falling

[Pat Villeneuve <patv@falcon.cc.ukans.edu>]

I have gone hundreds of miles without falling; other times, I've fallen 
and fallen. I took a spectacular spill this Summer going up Mt. 
Greylock. As I approached the summit, I wrested my leg from the 
boot-sucking mud and put my foot down on a slanted rock. Instantly, I 
was airborne; I watched in horror as my boots and poles shot over my 
head. "This is going to hurt," I thought in a flash. Then, THUD, I 
landed with my internal between my back and the rock. <Oof!> "Oh, no," I 
said, "I've broken my @#$% back--and on my first day out." Knowing I was 
close to the lodge, I decided to wait for rescue. Slowly it occurred to 
me that nothing hurt. "Well, of course not, silly. You've broken your 
back." Then I realized I could feel my feet. I got up slowly, conducted 
a short inventory, and kept on hiking (although I admit I thought about 
Christopher Reeve once or twice).

Give Me Chocolate
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