Yes, I have lived long enough to have many opportunities to laugh at myself. If I had to choose the one thing that I keep doing that is a source of laughter (after the fact) it is falling down in unusual places. I know if I had some video of some of those falls I could win several of those prizes on America’s Funniest Video.
My most spectacular fall was in the middle of Main Street in DisneyWorld’s Magic Kingdom on the evening of July 4th 2008 after the wondrous fireworks. I tripped and fell off the curb. In a matter of minutes, I was surrounded by Disney officials and medics, who were very alarmed. I was so embarrassed I was speechless. My sister, who is a nurse, kept asking me had I hit my head and my eleven year old nephew was dismayed because I had rolled over on the camera. His main concern was about all of his Disney pictures. It is still funny and I am laughing about it now as I write this post.
Here are a few more of my spectacular falls:
- Fell in Jason’s Deli while grabbing a to-go lunch. When I fell my forehead hit the tile floor and I literally kissed the floor as there was my red lipstick on it. My co-workers took me to the emergency room because I had a huge knot on my forehead. This was 2 days before a vacation to Jamaica. I did continue with my vacation (with the doctor’s blessing) but I had 2 perfect black eyes. I wore sunshades day and night to cover them while on vacation.
- Fell at a black tie banquet at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. I was walking toward the waving hands of my companion across the ballroom but I forgot there were a couple of steps in front of me. As I fell, I heard all of the persons around me exclaim in one big “OH!” I was so embarrassed that I just stayed on the floor for a few minutes. The head waiter rushed over to me asking if I was okay. I didn’t answer because I felt cold air on the back of my upper thighs. I was humiliated. Then I realized I was in Washington, D.C. and I probably would never see some of these people again. So, with all the audacity we Texans can muster, I got up, pulled my dress down, and walked across the ballroom to my table.
- Years later, while visiting the Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington, D.C. on an evening tour, I tripped and fell. This time I sprained my ankle. A week later, back at home, I tripped and fell in downtown Houston leaving the Houston Ballet performance. This time I broke my 2 front teeth.
- Fell out of a hammock on a beach in Aruba. I think one of my friends captured this fall in a photo.
- Fell down an ice-covered staircase on my way to church one Sunday. I didn’t have any injuries on this fall. I didn’t even tear my pantyhose! However, my shoes flew off. My neighbor came down to help me. He searched for my shoes and put them back on my feet. He asked me if I wanted to go back upstairs to my apartment. I told him I thought it best to go on to church. It was a bad ice-storm in Houston that day. I saw on the TV news later that several persons fell and broke ankles, legs, etc.
This list can go on and on as my falls go back to when I was a child/teenager. Even though I did sustain some injuries on some of them, it did not stop my quest for adventure and my ability to laugh at myself.
QUESTIONS:
Do you laugh at yourself? If so, can you share some occasions where you have done so?
Oh yes. Laughing at one’s self keeps me sane…sort of. Pop over to my blog and read Roid Rage for proof that there is always funny stuff even in the most embarrassing times.
My funniest falls were walking my dog Jessie at the park I didn’t see the hole in the grass. I slipped and fell, he and another dog ran and jumped in the bayou.
I once tripped over my pantleg and fell into the street and broke my elbow… my future son in law (who was 10 at the time) came riding his purple bicycle up to me and said, “man that looked like it hurt, are you okay?” Since then hubby won’t let me walk and chew gum… it’s too dangerous. Great post, can relate!
Oh my! I’m learning to NOT take myself or my mishaps so seriously. I went to a dinner party a few months back and had fixed my plate. I was trying to carry it in one hand and my cutlery and napkin in the other. I balanced my water glass in an empty section of my plate. When I stepped down into the dining area, the glass wobbled, fell over, splashed on me and my plate. I played it off, ate the soggy food and fan dried myself the rest of the evening. Later, I told the hostess what I had done and she told me, “I would have been mortified! I can’t believe you didn’t want to crawl home in embarrassment!” I think that comment, more than the incident, mortified me. While it was a bit embarrassing, spilled water is no biggie. Mortifying my hostess, however, did set me aback!
I have trouble laughing at myself sometimes. I know it’s a failing and I work on it. Laughing when I fall or run into things is easy, though! I was once browsing at a clothing store on my lunch hour. I was headed to the front door to leave but looked behind me at one last item as I walked. There were 2 sets of glass doors, an inner and an outer, and my peripheral vision must only have registered the outer ones because I turned my head front just in time to walk full speed into the inner door! Smashed my glasses crooked, banged my forehead, but was so embarrassed that I scurried away as quickly as possible. About a block later I realized maybe it was a good idea to find a mirror and see if I’d done any damage. Nothing I could see then but turned out to have hit so hard I gave myself whiplash! Whoops.