Five-Star Disability

Who trips?

Everyone?  Anyone?  Or just me?

I believe that tripping is more common for folks like me than other people with disabilities.  I have severe ataxia, and can trip over just about anything.

Tripping is when a person stumbles over an unseen or unexpected floor or surface anomaly.  Such anomalies as:

> cracks in sidewalks, or roads

> potholes

> train or streetcar tracks

> uneven ground such as parks and beaches

> stairs, the smaller the better

> walking from darkness to lighted areas

> things found underfoot that should not be underfoot (disgarded shoes for example)

For me, I can trip over all of those, but also some others that may astound you:

> benches, chairs and other things you may sit on

> curbs

> children underfoot (I once nearly squashed my youngest son when he darts in front of me)

> walking 0ne way, then suddenly switching directions

> ramps in sidewalks for driveways or crosswalks

> almost anything sticking out of the ground, trees, shrubs, poles, etc

> those yellow wet floor signs you see everywhere, I trip over them because they are usually small and out of my sight range

> toys!  My children have too much LEGO strewn all over our basement

> small animals that dart underfoot…

> random feet!

Because I have low vision, I find it very hard to judge distances, or heck, objects from my six feet height to, say, the ground.

I once walked right smack into a pole, that I did not see until I walked into it!  I was having this internal conversation after cracking my head: “…what the hell is that pole doing there! Crap! The pain! That lady thinks I’m drunk! Must preserve a scene of normalcy!” I turn to and enter the mall, being swallowed by thousands of people while avoiding judgement by a haughty old woman!

What do you trip over? …