sj
Staff member
Northwest Arkansas
I was doing my annual pull boats out of the lake I live at routine today. I was somewhat preoccupied with thinking about all of the friends I have here that have had WAY too close calls this year. Some have multiple infractions, but then things are bigger in Texas. Ooops, I digress. Anyway, I was pondering what to write in the calendar intro. I was thinking about the fact that safety involves vigilance and judgement, taking the time when you can to make a good decision. My CFI instructor said to me once "Johnson, What is the first thing you should do when the engine stops?", I'm sure I said, "Pitch for best glide and land in a field after dialing 121.5 and screaming mayday". He said, "No you idiot, take a deep breath and the put the fuel selector on the other tank". His point being, before you make a regrettable action (as I did today, I'm getting to that) take a couple seconds to think about it - USUALLY you have time available.
Back to my story. Here I was lost in another world thinking about aviation safety as I pulled out the pontoon boat. It was just me, so I had backed the trailer in with the jeep and walked down to our dock to get the boat. Well, I did not get the boat as far up on the trailer as I had hoped but it was pretty close. Really close - about 3 feet. I attempted to make the long step from the boat deck to the trailer ladder platform where the winch is and the next thing I knew I was picking myself up out of the water where I had crashed onto the trailer below - about another 3 feet. My glasses had been knocked off - actually, I think it was the lens that cut the gash in my cheek when I hit, and they are destroyed. Ok, I can deal with that (even though glasses cost a fortune these days!). Ok, now I have to get the boat out... then I see all the blood running into the water. Yikes. Ok, nothing really to put on the wound and it is not oozing too bad. So I get the boat out of the water and drive the mile back to the house with no glasses. Now, I am almost blind without glasses so this was a very slow drive. Fortunately I have a circle drive and did not have to back the boat in or I would have probably never made it.
Short story made long, as Cubscout would say, I found my other pair of glasses, drove to the ER and got 11 stitches - a first for me other than oral surgery.
In conclusion, I don't bounce quite like I used to. In fact, I'm not sure I'm even "as good once as I ever was" as the song says. I know I need to be more careful and I will be. Why does something like this have to happen to make us more careful? Why can't we set out that way in the morning? I know managing risk is a part of life, and often times the greatest things in life involve elements of risk.
To quote our friend Flip Flop, "Yall be careful out there, ya hear?" - I'm going to be.
sj
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