Okay, so there’s an old song about someone leaving their heart in San Francisco. Well I haven’t been to San Francisco recently but I was in Baltimore (also on the water) and I did leave a part of me. Some skin, thanks to a running accident along the brick-paved harbor.
Several have asked, “How did it happen?” Not quite sure other than I was running one second and the next I was up close and personal with the brick sidewalk. I’m guessing I tripped. At any rate I did a number on my right hand. And my left hand. And right and left knees too. But I digress.
Baltimore is beautiful and I have so enjoyed visiting there the last two years for our National Conference. This year was special and I had been looking forward to our “Evening of Stars Gala” for a good couple months. Spent hours looking for just the right dress and tried on about three dozen before finding “the one” that I couldn’t wait to wear across that stage! I also had invitation to sit at the company president’s table that night. I rarely get so excited about an event but the anticipation had built for weeks leading up to this one big night.
Flashback to my morning run (yes it was the morning of the Gala) and the first thought upon rolling over and seeing the damage was , “How am I going to cover all this up for the Gala?” Second thought was, “My hotel is how far from here?” It was a long walk back to the hotel. Long.
I grabbed the first two gentlemen that I saw in the lobby and asked if they had first-aid supplies. One ran off to grab a tackle-box size first-aid kit while the other winced as he looked at my wounds and asked if I was ok. Anyway, they had me go sit in the lobby to bandage my wounds. Sweaty, stinky, covered in blood and sitting in the lobby of the very nice Marriott Baltimore Waterfront, all I could think about was making it to the Gala and that hoped no one I knew saw me!
I really didn’t want to show them my hand. But when the guy bandaging me said he had done combat field rescue in the Army, I politely thanked him for his service and felt confident he could handle seeing my hand. I don’t recall if it was before or after he saw my hand that he asked if I would like a cab to go to the hospital. I said, “No, our Gala is tonight and I’m sitting with the president and I tried on three dozen dresses looking for just the right one”. Ok, I’m sure at that point they probably thought I had hit my head too.
Needless to say, the guy at the hotel was fabulous. He brought ice and pain meds. Turns out he worked security for the hotel. He was back working that evening and I went up to him to let him know I was ok. He said, “Oh I didn’t recognize you”. I thought yes, showered, make-up, lack of sweat and blood, I can see why. Well I wasn’t exactly ok, but I had made it to the Gala and enjoyed my moment in the spotlight. I also learned that you can strategically pose for photos to block out most bandages. Most.
