BREAKING NEWS: chivalry not dead

In what can only be described as a shocking turn of events in my otherwise routine life, I humiliated myself in public by falling (yet again) at a major DC intersection. Regular readers of this blog know that I am not immune to falling in public places. Since moving here, I have fallen at several DC Memorials, the steps of the Capitol Building, K Street and now L Street. In my world, falling is the new black.

I was rushing to the gym yesterday to get a short workout before heading out to kickball. I figured I wouldn’t get much exercise just from kickball and I needed to get back into my workout routine after being gone last week (yes, the hotel I stayed at had a gym, but I never had the chance to use it just like I never had the chance to enjoy the beautiful San Diego weather because I was too busy to go outside!). While walking on L Street, I awkwardly stepped on an uneven cement tile and my right ankle rolled under me and I fell forward. My bad left knee felt the brunt of the fall as my weight shifted left during the fall. My gym bag and handbag dropped in front of me. Also, my sunglasses fell off my head (I know there was no sun yesterday, but I used them to hold up my hair).

A couple of months ago (incidentally, after my last bad fall) I declared chivalry to be dead. I fell on K Street (basically same scenario as above except I was actually on the street as opposed to the sidewalk) and not a single person (of the 20 or so people who were crossing the street with me) asked me if I was ok. No one even helped me up. How hard would it have been for one person to actually come to a stop and ask me if I was ok or even help me back on my feet? I may be a feminist but I still enjoy when a man holds a door open for me, lets me order dinner first, and picks me up when I fall. Or ladies, wouldn’t you feel better if a girl was around to help you when you fell so you could share the humiliation with someone?

To my surprise, this fall was different. When I fell, a young guy (probably younger than me) rushed to my side. Another older gentleman was right there and offered me his hand to help me up. I was incredibly shaken by the fall but it was the assistance I received that rendered me speechless. The young guy picked up my gym bag and hand bag for me, all the while asking me repeatedly, “Are you ok?” After the third time, I answered quietly and meekly, “Yes, thank you.” A few seconds later, they were on their way.

I felt bad that I didn’t seem more appreciative for their actions. After all, I wasn’t expecting assistance but I was pleasantly surprised when I received it. If I hadn’t been so overcome with embarrassment, I could’ve said more than a barely audible, “Thanks.” The truth is that I was very grateful for their help and I feel horrible that I didn’t express this at the time. And so I blog.

To the two gentlemen who helped me, you guys made a huge deposit in the Bank of Karma yesterday. Because I cannot thank you enough, I hope that Karma pays you back tenfold.