Tuesday 13 April 2021

The Stupendous Trip

Have you ever tripped, or been tripped up, in a field or footpath? I'm quite sure it has happened to most of us.

Yesterday I was on my way home from a four or five mile walk, striding briskly along the footpath near St Mark's parish church.

The footpath wasn't particularly wide, and another pedestrian approached me from the opposite direction.

I naturally veered to the side of the footpath, and we smiled and nodded at each other as I passed.

Thereafter events moved at the blink of an eye.

I tripped and fell instantaneously to the ground.

I immediately looked back while I lay on the pavement, though by this stage the other walker had passed me, unaware of what had happened, and wearing headphones.

All was quiet at any rate, because there were no other pedestrians or traffic.

I had a look on the ground to see what had happened, and there was a large metal hoop of some sort which, obviously, had been the cause of my fall.

I had been acknowledging the passer-by without observing or seeing this cause of my ignoble fall from grace.

Fortunately I was completely unhurt, being nimble, fit, and healthy.

I escaped unscathed, apart from my pride - quite bemused, actually -  without even a bruise, ache, or scratch.

I lifted the offending object to examine the cause of my fall, and was tempted to throw it away as forcefully as feasible; though instead decided merely to place it on top of a hedge.

"Mind how you go", as Detective Inspector Fred Thursday might have said.

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