Staying Above Water

OK. I still don't know what to call Mr Big that sounds right or fits. He's the money guy that may have more influence over this administration than most. I'll call him the Puppeteer.

So, one of the US Cabinet members came to stay at the puppeteer's socal house with his family, and secret service entourage. Guys like that get secret service too. They use them to run errands, do favors, go to the grocery store. All the stuff we are glad to pay for to keep our elected and not elected officials safe and sound.

As I was readying the place I was carrying some outdoor item, either a long cushion or a pool float from point A to point B. The path I took went right by the end of the spa. It is a concrete pond which is at the end of the larger concrete pond, or swimming pool as we call them in Miami.

The patio is up a few steps where the spa is located. That way it can spill over the waterfall thing down to the pool. I was on that upper patio part looking toward point B, thinking, "I'll put this thing over there". I was holding it so that it blocked any peripheral vision on my right side.

As luck would have it I cut a little too close to the corner of the spa. My left foot was still on solid ground but my right foot went straight down to the first ledge in the spa, about an 18" or so drop--just to the point where the water level reached the bottom of my knee.

You may not know this, but when you are walking and the ground is suddenly way below where it is supposed to be and you do not realize this until you take a step, or later, it is quite a shock and often throws your whole rhythm off, or even kills you.

I still have no idea where my left leg went when I fell. Somehow through my shoe it almost caused my left big toe nail to rip off. It was a sudden and definite pain experience. The positive part is that I only bruised the inside of the right knee rather than break something, and the majority of me landed on dry land.

It seemed like a good idea to just leave the shoe on. For once I wore heavier tie up shoes rather than work barefooted or in moccasins. And I did what needed doing. That was the right thing. The pain became minimal and I didn't have to know what the damage was.

It turns out that the shoe and sock held it so that the blood acted like glue to keep it all together. That kept it from being all that painful later.

Should I sue the government for this mishap? There are no warning signs or barriers. My employer did not supply a helmet. And no one told me that if I am walking that way trying to ready the place for the Secretary of xyz that I could step into the abyss and be nearly maimed for life. I think I could sue the Puppeteer, and the US government, ie, you.

It seriously amazes me that I have a big bump on the inside of my knee which in no way influences its function, and that this toe thing is not painful. I do have it wrapped tight in heavy bandaids, but what luck.

Once again, I've been blessed with minimum consequence for maximum negligence and carelessness. Thank you guardian angels or whatever.

I am pretty sure that, when I go, it will be due to a freak accident of some kind and the actual cause of death will be blunt force trauma. It has happened too many times, and I've come out OK. I just think that one day, whatever watches out for me may be taking a break just at the moment when it happens. Maybe guardians have to go smoke, or pee. If my timing coincides with that, it is curtains.