My wonderful luck,

[Bob Thompson]

Last Sunday afternoon while strolling in the park my wife and I took a path which has about a two foot rise on either size. I had noted a family that was off to the side but paid little attention to them. As we drew parallel to them a man turned toward the path and began running in our direction. I heard women shouting in his direction but it had no effect on him. As our paths intersected he launched himself into the air directly at me. I tried to sidestep but he caught me around the neck and hung on. I had never managed a clear look at his face or I would have known what was up. I was barely able to put him on the ground and get a control hold on him due to the tremendous pain in my lower back. During this time there were now women screaming his innocence and for me to release him, I singled out the least hysterical women and asked her why he had attacked me. She explained as calmly as she could that he wasn't attacking, he was a Down's syndrome kid who thought I was someone he knew. I think I muttered something to the effect of "wonderful" and released the hold, but I couldn't get off him because my back was then screaming. I told my wife to call for help and the men in the party were able to help me off the man and to the nearest bench. Someone had already called the Sheriff and a couple deputies were running our direction, I was able to get them calmed down before we had a full scale insurrection. The guy that jumped on me had the cognitive age of around seven years, but he was five feet and one hundred and sixty pounds. The cops took a report. One of our neighbors was kind enough collect our car and my wife accompanied me to the ER where I discovered I had two badly bulged but not quite herniated discs. After they shot me full of muscle relaxants and pain meds they sent me home. My Chiro and my GP agreed on a course of PT and I was actually able to hobble around Monday evening and as of this writing I'm doing quite well.
This is the second time I have had a large person fall on me, It's getting tiresome. I really hate to think of myself as fragile.

[Kevin Mienke]

I really hate to think of myself as fragile.

When our bodies have been laid waste by a life of hard work and injury we don't deserve to be called "fragile". We can say broken down, run down, ramshackle, haggard, or battered. But the word fragile is like the hissing of snakes. Never, ever, tell anyone that you are becoming fragile.

As always, the correct choice of words is of utmost importance. Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

Here's the thing; a truly fragile man would not have defended himself or his wife.

[Bob Thompson]

When our bodies have been laid waste by a life of hard work and injury we don't deserve to be called "fragile". We can say broken down, run down, ramshackle, haggard, or battered. But the word fragile is like the hissing of snakes. Never, ever, tell anyone that you are becoming fragile.

As always, the correct choice of words is of utmost importance. Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

Here's the thing; a truly fragile man would not have defended himself or his wife.

Thanks Kevin, I sort of meant that in the comical sense; since I keep getting large people thrown on me and I end up broken. But I think of myself as quite durable and resilient. I just wish this sort of thing would happen to someone else.
As always there is a bit of humor in this situation, and watching the young Hispanic deputy trying to deal with ten or so agitated Korean women was mildly amusing. Spoken Korean sounds angry even when you're being invited to tea. And this kid was out of his depth.
I guess this is one for my "memoirs" which, if I ever get round to writing them ; will sound a great deal like "Bulldog Drummond". But then all memoirs are at the very least self serving. That having been said, I wish my father had written his own.