One of my biggest fears in NYC is falling down a hatch. See Exhibit A below. Silly as it must seem, this is a real and potentially costly danger of living in this pedestrian dependent way of life. I pass similar hatches daily, on my way to work, to brunch, to the grocery store, to drop off my dry cleaning or cautiously to dinner in a pair of high heels. One absent minded text or stumble on an uneven sidewalk later and I could be looking at hundreds of dollars in taxi cab rides while trying to make my way hobbling around on crutches in a sea of people. Oh the nightmare!
Actually, I should clarify, the real fear is not just falling down a hatch but falling in general. Genetically, I am predisposed to trip on anything and everything. Now image, without much of a choice you have to walk up to 5 miles a day. Suddenly the fear of falling climbs to the top of your scary list.
One evening in particular, on the way home from Whole Foods, stands out vividly of a tripping crisis adverted. I was marching across Avenue A, pushing a very full cart of groceries next to a very pregnant Anna. Greg was out of town for a week interviewing for residency programs so I had a house guest and therefore enough groceries to feed an army. Half way across the avenue I suddenly found myself sprawled out on top of my push cart with food spilling everywhere onto the crosswalk. I looked up to my left and saw a man stopped at the red light on his motorcycle clapping at my lovely show of clumsiness. As I peeled myself off the cart, I heard Anna howling in front of me which of course made me laugh (that's what we do in the Yost family, laugh when gravity gets the upper hand). So, giggling like crazy we quickly picked everything up, I turned to my audience, took a bow and kept charging straight home.
If I ever do go down that hatch may it be a fun and funny ride! Anna would be so sad she missed it.
Exhibit A
