It was just an ordinary Labor Day in 2020. We were staying safe at home. Again. I was tinkering around the yard. I planted some grass in a couple of bare spots. Removed an old stump. Transplanted a rose bush. Repotted the plant I inherited from my mother twenty-two years ago. You know the drill, I was doing old man stuff. My dream job - Working for myself.

After lunch my wife came outside to do a little supervising. We happened to notice a large crack in the earth near the base of our old satellite dish. We switched to cable a few years ago, so we had no use for it any longer. I was in the garage looking for some tools to dismantle it with when I heard Tina cry out. I found her lying on the ground in severe pain. The dish, pole and all were on top of her.

She had grabbed the pole to see how sturdy it was when it suddenly gave way and came crashing down on top of her. As shallow as it was in the ground I can’t believe it hadn’t been blown over a long time ago.

She had a knot the size of a chicken egg on her noggin, and her lower back didn’t care to be pile-driven into the ground by the dish.

Three hours later it appeared things were not getting any better, so we paid the ER a visit. We learned her T-12 has a compression fracture. It should heal on its own given time. They fitted her with a back brace that looks like something from Star Wars. No need to shop for a Halloween costume this year. Such is life on the ridge. Staying home and staying safe doesn’t seem to be working this week.

Chicken Little she’s not. The sky didn’t fall today even though it’s 2020 and anything is entirely possible. It was only a satellite dish. But it was heavy! At our age we are no longer comparable to a Timex. Once we take a licking we are down for a while.

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Rick Algood
September 7, 2020