A little light for the day

A short story; actual and factual.   About a year and a half ago I developed double vision, which took some getting used to.  For a while Mary Jane did all the driving, but my eyes began to accommodate the problem, and today I see as I should, except when watching a movie, TV, or my pastor on Sunday morning.  

There, I see two.

In the early months as I was getting used to seeing two of everything, also dealing with the balance issues that were exacerbated by the double vision, I had to learn how to watch for even slight variations in elevation when walking.   Even when we were dating more than 25 years ago, she would tell me that I was the only person she’d ever met that fell off sidewalks.  So you see, my balance then was not much better than today (but that’s another story).

A year ago, we were on a friends boat and I had gone to the upper deck to sit, when someone called from below and said snacks were available in the galley.   Not one to miss treats, I started to go below – but failed to look where my foot was placed on the deck above the staircase as I began to go down.

My left foot was apparently further out on the deck than I realized, so when my massive weight shifted as I began to step down  with  my right foot— my planted deck shoe slipped off the deck and  I went down feet first, landing on my back on the deck below.  Thankfully the staircase was narrow, the steps steep, so I only bounced 8 times, and didn’t break anything other than my pride. 

My very first words as others rushed toward the noise of my feet and body bouncing along…:

“Well, that’s the fastest I’ve moved in a long time and for sure the the quickest ever to come down a flight of stairs!”