Last night I saw a random guy fall down on the sidewalk. He fell backwards, with his ass taking the vast majority of the blow. But the back of his head also bounced off the concrete. He did not get up. We called an ambulance (he was sitting up by the time 911 got there).
The sound his head made on impact. I will never forget that sound. It was as if a cantaloupe or watermelon was being thrown to the ground. It made me feel sick. Almost nauseous.
Since I broke my leg in 2019, I’ve been much more mindful of injury/potential injury. I’ve also developed a growing fear of hitting my head. This has led to wearing a helmet a lot more than I ever imagined I would. That sound. That sound didn’t do much to allay any fears I had. Quite the opposite, actually.
