We label them as unexpected, out of the blue, and surprising. We’ve all had freak “accidents” before. We often call them accidents because it’s usually a nicer and less accusatory way to not assess blame. This is particularly true when someone hurts him/herself in an embarrassing way. I’m thinking about the old rake-in-the-face or tripping-over-your-feet kind of embarrassing.
Often we can laugh about these sorts of things or try to cover them up. Who hasn’t strutted out of a near face plant in plain view of spectators before? Ok, maybe I shouldn’t speak for others, but try it sometime. If people don’t believe that you meant to lurch forward suddenly, then transition into a John Travolta disco strut afterwards. It will at least get a few laughs.
But freak injuries aren’t always funny. Sometimes people aren’t lucky enough to survive the unexpected.
This could have been the case for accomplished drummer Jerry Fuchs. Why he decided to jump into or out of a malfunctioning elevator and not wait for help we may never know.
Even more tragic is the recent case of a young boy falling to his death at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. This situation is one people might imagine but would rarely expect to happen.
As mentioned in my last post, Attitudes on Safety #2, sometimes we knowlingly do things that are unsafe. But other times injuries happen when we least expect them. Although stories like Fuchs’ and the young boy’scan be depressing, they can also be helpful in warning others to be aware of comparable dangers if they find themselves in similar circumstances.
What’s your most freakish injury? How could you have avoided it?
