No Spring Chicken.

Pacific Ocean beyond the trees.

For those in my generation, how many times have you believed that you can still do the things you did in your early 20's?  I long for the days when I used to run 20+ miles, go hiking, backpacking, go sky diving, bungee jumping, cliff diving, spelunking, white water rafting, and so many outdoor adventures.  

I broke so many bones and have so many scars from my adventures.  I know when and where each one happened.  


Today, I was doing the Safety Officer thing on my job sites, reminding workers about PPE, working safely, and other things.  I was observing 3 sites today.  Yes, I know.  I know the standard.  One Site Safety Officer per job site.  I've brought it up and still nothing.  But anyway, back to my story.  Majority of the guys within the different crews are young.  Most are in their 20's.  So today, after watching different crews all morning.  I started looking back to the good ole' times.  

The days when I was a young electrician apprentice, paratrooper, and athlete.  Those days when I had so much fun doing so many different things and learning so many different crafts.  My mind was telling me that I could still do the things that the guys in my crews are doing.  I wanted to get my hands dirty.  I could hear those words, "You're still young.  Age is only a number.  You're just as agile and strong as those young bucks".  

So all afternoon, I was starting to feel good about myself.  I was assuring myself through self-affirmations, as I watched the guys doing their jobs throughout the job site.  "Yeah!  I'm young.  I can still do that!"   

When the flat bed truck started to back up on the roadway.  I was in the way.  Instead of walking to the other side of the road to get out of the way like I am supposed to.  I let my mind get the better of me.  I decided to leap across a 16" deep trench by 2' wide.  We had just finished laying a 12" pipe in and back-filled it.  It used to be 4'9" deep.  

I got myself ready.  The flatbed was coming towards me.  I could hear my mind saying...you can do it!  So I did.  I leapt from the curb of the road to the soft ground on the other side of that shallow trench.  What I thought would be a great landing in front of the guys turned into a catastrophe.  My left knee buckled.  I could hear my knee yell...What are you doing?!  Oh, Naw...I'm not letting you do this!  I'm gonna buckle.  Not gonna let all that weight bust me again and get swelled up.  Not Me!  

I lost my balance falling forward.  Everything went into slow motion.  I saw the green grass slowly coming towards me. I distinctly remember yelling in my head, "Jesus, Protect Me"!  I don't know how I did it.  But in mid air, my body turned so my left shoulder will take the brunt of the impact.  Stretching out my right arm to protect my face from banging into anything I didn't see.  

That was the softest landing I ever had...as big as I am.  I didn't strain anything.  My left knee is fine.  There was no impact print on the soft soil.  Just my left boot print.  

I still replay that incident in my head.  Next Monday's Safety Topic, I already know.  


Keep Smiling...