Legend has it that Isaac Newton discovered the laws of gravity by watching an apple fall to the ground in a straight course without deviating to the left or right. From this observation, he concluded that the same force that makes an apple fall also holds us on the ground and keeps the moon and planets in their orbits.
I learned about the laws of gravity in a slightly less scientific way: on my bathroom floor after blacking out while sick.
In early December, I suffered a bout of food poisoning that made me violently ill. While I was in the bathroom, I became dizzy and disoriented from sudden and acute dehydration. For reasons still unknown to me, I stood up to unlock the door. Before I could stand up, I lost consciousness and fell face-first on the floor.
When I regained consciousness and felt my nose, which was beginning to swell, I knew I had to put ice on it. I managed to get to the kitchen, wrap ice cubes in a dish towel, and apply it to my face. My husband, who had just returned from having lunch with friends, walked into the room and took one look at me; he immediately knew I needed medical attention. Our daughter called her husband, a paramedic, who is our go-to person for medical emergencies, and he recommended an urgent care facility on Morganton Road.
When I walked into the urgent care clinic, the laws of gravity — which had sent me plummeting to my bathroom floor — were replaced by the lessons of gravity, which would prove to be enlightening in the coming days.
One of the first lessons I learned was just how lucky I was to have access to good medical advice and care on short notice, something many of us take for granted or never even think about. The P.A. who took care of me, Mark Lucas, was exactly the right fit. He was completely professional while assessing the extent of my injuries, but when I started making jokes about my appearance, he laughed and responded with some humor of his own. I knew then that I was in good hands, and I was grateful for that.
I also saw Dr. Steven Pantelakos, an ear, nose and throat physician and family friend. Steve, who is one of the kindest and most caring people I know, assured me that my injuries did not cause irreparable damage and should soon mend. Again, I was reminded of how fortunate I was to have such good medical care.
My next lesson wasn’t so much a discovery as it was a reminder of how a sense of humor can get you through almost anything life throws at you. As I discovered by looking in the mirror the morning after I fell, when your reflection resembles a circus clown more than it resembles the face you normally see, you had better have some jokes on hand to ward off your impulse to cry or to feel sorry for yourself.
For the next few days, I made numerous references to Jimmy Durante and Karl Malden, two men who not only were great actors but also had large noses. Durante worked his “schnoz” into many of his comedy routines and became a star in an industry known for beauty and vanity. Malden, aware he wasn’t a matinee idol, endeared himself to audiences as an everyman figure. I was in very good company having these men as my inspiration for living with an oversized nose, even if my situation was temporary.
When I began showing my facial bruises to others and explaining their origin, I learned that many people have their own stories about falling. Some of these stories were funny, but many were not, and some were tragic. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones to a fall, and I now understand how easily and quickly these accidents can occur.
The most enduring lesson for me is not one I just learned because of this incident, but one I have known intuitively most of my adult life: Life is a fragile and unpredictable thing. We would do well to remember this inescapable truth and let it guide us in how we live and how we build relationships with ourselves and others.
And while you are working on relationships, don’t forget to make friends with gravity. It refuses to be ignored.
Mary Zahran, who no longer resembles a circus clown, can be reached at maryzahran@gmail.com.
