If life gives you lemons squeeze it and make a lemonade’.
This is attributed to Dale Carnegie to induce positivity in life. But why should we stop at the Lemonade? Why not make the most of the lemon, grate the rind for the zest and pickle the rest too for future use? Let us make the most of what we get in life instead of bemoaning our fate or regretting about what we did not or could not achieve.
I am reminded of the time in my life when I had one such fall. One minute I was gushing and on top of my life, racing and skipping back from work. An onlooker would have been envious of my spirited energy and the spring in my walk that day and there was a reason for it.
I was on my way back home from work to await the imminent visit of two of my buddies from med school after a hiatus of about three and a half decades. I had taken a couple of days off from my busy schedule to relive those college days of yore. The days to come were meticulously planned. Every minute was packed with fun and the plans were picture perfect. Nothing could mar the joy I had planned with my friends long lost or so I thought, until my world came tumbling down to reality as I rolled down about seven or eight steps of a very slippery staircase at the metro station.
Just like that, I was brought down to my knees quite literally!
I found myself in an awkward position on the landing with a swarm of helpful onlookers. My first thoughts were, believe it or not, not for myself but rather of my plans and of the necessity of a plan B to be pushed into action, of which of course, I had none at that time. ‘Poor Man’, he makes all his plans, thinking himself to be invincible and see, how little is needed to bring him down to earth. I was still in this philosophical frame of mind although, somewhere in the back of my mind, quick changes were being made in the more practical arrangements for my guests. However, reality soon dawned on me when a benevolent bystander tried to raise me on to my feet.
I realized that my feet were hopelessly twisted under me and I knew with a banal finality that I had broken a bone. An official at the metro station was trying to straighten my twisted ankle when thankfully my medical training kicked in reflex and I requested for a wheelchair and transport back to my hospital……
…. and more.
Aww.. atleast you met your friends in the hospital 😬 .. anyway, waiting for the continuation of the story (incident).
Thank you Nimmy. It was a watershed moment for me. The continuation is coming soon…
DEAR MADAM
Excellent!
The way u have framed the sentences
The anecdotes
The way u have narrated the fall
And how u kept Ur spirits high
Inspite of the difficulties
Made a good read
Expecting more!
Thank you, Dr Maggie. Sure more is on the way.
Wonderfully described incident. I could visualize the scenes like in a movie .. not only the on screen presence but also all that was going on in the mind of the main character. ‘ You never know what’s around the corner’ is conveyed very well. Reena very well penned piece !
Thankyou Shobha for your encouraging words.
Correction in your third paragraph/ Not 2 but 3 buddies and the 4th one knows you for more than 4 decades and he was the one who was responsible for the meeting but no mention of that unsung hero! May God bless you good health and good memories 🌹💕
Thanks, dear unsung hero. Your role as the facilitator of the meeting is not forgotten and hence the picture. The hiatus of three and a half decades in the meeting does not apply to you as I did meet you on a few occasions. I always knew you to be comfortably nearby. It was a great consolation to have you, a friend and an orthopaedician, by my side that day.