Falling

I am back home in the US again, and back into the happy routine.

Part of my happy routine on the weekends is taking the dog out for a good long walk in the morning. This morning it was still dark throughout our walk, and 36 degrees just before we set out. The dog, a pair of warm suede sneakers, and the iPod are a good combo.

During the first half of the walk we didn't encounter anyone, and we enjoyed a vigorous bout of fetch on the lawn of a local institution. It's a good thing the dog is able to find the ball in the dark, because I sure can't.

On the way back home we encountered two different folks out with their dogs. The first one appeared to be a Springer Spaniel, and it was just too energetic to engage. It was up on its back legs pulling for us, and it seemed better for everyone if we just moved on.

The second one was another friendly-seeming woman, accompanied by two smallish furry black dogs of indeterminate breed and a friendly but not so frantic demeanor. They seemed like good candidates for interaction with my somewhat dog-shy 50 pound pooch. Unfortunately, said pooch did not agree, so while I was trying to introduce him to the nice doggies and their human, he was trying to get away. The result was the classic leash-around-the-legs debacle. I went down.

It's such an odd sensation to find oneself suddenly on the pavement, when just a moment before everything was as it should be. It's just plain disorienting. It's often a bit humiliating, too, though I am not sure why that should be so; it happens to everyone at some point. The humiliation factor was low this morning, thanks to the mild and slow nature of the fall (though I did lose a little skin off the knee- even through both pants and long underwear), and due to the kindness of the other pedestrian, who only asked once if I was okay, and also made a nice sympathetic comment about the surprising strength of dogs (adding a much-appreciated element of "It could happen to anyone; you're a person with an unexpectedly powerful dog, not a poorly-balanced moron."). It's infinitely worse when witnesses make a huge fuss. Note to witnesses: ask the faller once if they are okay, and then move on.

The rest of the walk was uneventful. Now we are home, and all is right and upright. Until the next time.