Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDI

It's something we tell people all the time....after all, it's so easy to say. We may actually express it in a variety of ways, but here's the basic message: "It's not how many times you fall; what counts is how many times you get back up." Sometimes I get weary of all those tired old cliches and I question why we even have to say that. Well, as of today, I have gained a whole new perspective and a renewed appreciation for those of us who say those words...even if we say them without giving the subject much thought. (As a reminder, I sometimes write these articles three or four weeks before they're posted, which means that when I speak of "today" or "yesterday," I'm actually speaking of days a few weeks past.) This morning I fell. Literally. I was on my early morning run, and I tripped and fell onto the asphalt. Ladies and Gentlemen, that hurt. I can't really tell you what happened...it's just that one second I was running on a downhill section of the street, and the next second I was face down on the pavement. I'm not sure how much time elapsed while I was lying there, but one thing I CAN say is getting up at that moment was one of the toughest things I've ever done. I must admit that I felt a sense of urgency since it was before daylight and I was in the middle of the oncoming lane of a curvy, hilly road...and the predawn traffic was heavier than normal this morning. But I was injured. My left arm and shoulder didn't want to cooperate. I'm eternally grateful for my friends, Claire Clary and Bob Anderson, who were there for me at that moment. You see, there are three ways to respond when you see a friend fall. Bob and Claire could've just kept running, and maybe they would have even discussed my situation and what a shame it was that I fell. Or they could have pointed out to me that if I had been paying attention to what I was doing, I would still be on my feet. After all, they were running right beside me and they didn't fall, which means that it was all my fault and I got what I deserved. The fact is, if they had said that, it probably would have been true. Instead, they had compassion on me, and were there willing to do whatever I needed to get me back on my feet, because that's what true friends do, regardless of who's to blame. Falls have consequences....usually injuries. And that goes for all kinds of falls, even the ones that are not as literal as the one I had today. When a person falls, there's pain. Getting up is not easy. I know that from experience. That's why we must continue to remind people that "it's not how many times you fall, it's how many times you get up." One other thing I figured out this morning is that although getting up was so extremely difficult, the pain would have been just as great if I had stayed down. I'm so glad I wasn't alone when I fell. Instead, I was surrounded by people who cared, and although I'm sometimes a little stubborn and insist on doing things by myself, having my good friends there for me when I needed them was such a comfort. All of us need to be reminded on a regular basis that we have to get back up, because if it was easy, everybody would be doing it. Preston Sent from my iPad=