There was a disaster today. Oddly enough, it happened because of the snow, however indirectly, and it caused a friend to be carried out in a hospital stretcher, right before my eyes.
She slipped on the stairs, her feet a little wet with snow, and had a concussion.
Now, I know this isn't positive. I know this isn't a great national crisis, I know that soldiers will not be flown in from overseas to protect her, I know that the president will not fly over the hospital with a sad look on his face.
But, so what?
To me, this is a problem. This is one of the greatest problems that can happen and no one ever sees it coming.
That nasty sign, the one which is sitting in front of a slightly wet bathroom floor or the one that appears on the flagstones outside a building the moment a bit of moisture appears in the air - it says CAUTION: SLIPPERY WHEN WET for a reason, people.
We move fast down those stairs and we suddenly have our feet leave the ground, shooting out from under us, moving too quickly to track, and we flail our arms, suddenly realizing that something is wrong. Fall back. Hit the head. See the world go white for a moment.
It says that for a reason. It does.
I remember that I slipped on the stairs once and fell down the flight holding a bag of laundry. I sprained my ankle badly and limped for a week. I was in a rush and I wasn't paying attention.
This girl, however, was completely innocent. She paid attention to the signs, she wiped her feet on the mat, and she calmly stepped onto the stairs.
She just failed to notice that no one had done the same and the stairs were a puddle of water.
To all.
To everyone.
To each and every person who may read this:
WIPE YOUR DAMN FEET, IT IS SLIPPERY OUT THERE!
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