MORE TROUBLE WITH GRAVITY

By Dan Miller
May 22, 2007

It was still daylight as we pulled into the parking lot at McCabe Pub.
A warm, delightful Saturday evening.... perfect for outdoor dining.

Driving toward a parking space, we could see one of the tables on the front patio was empty and available.... a rarity at the dinner hour on such a lovely evening.

There were four of us -- my wife Karen, our 8-year old daughter, one of her little friends, and me.

As I pulled into the parking space, I considered whether I should remind Karen to be careful of the little crevice between the concrete and the grass, when she stepped out of the car.
But I didn't say anything.
I knew she was familiar with this particular parking space, and would step out with caution.

But seconds after her door opened, she disappeared from my sight.
I rushed around the car.
There on the ground was my wife, with our daughter and her friend kneeling beside her.

Wouldn't you know it.... she had fallen as she stepped directly into the little crevice that I had chosen not to remind her about.

"Are you OK?", I asked, as I tried to help her up.
"Yes," she said, "but let me just sit here a second while you run inside and get that table for us."

I glanced over at the patio.
Everybody dining outside was now on their feet, looking in our direction, craning to see what was happening.

"Oh wow" I said, "everybody's looking at us."
"Are you sure you're not hurt?" I asked her.
"Let me help you up."
"I'm fine," Karen said, "Go, hurry and grab that table before someone else shows up and takes it, and I'll be right there in a minute."

So I rushed across the parking lot, hoping to reserve the only remaining outdoor table, so we could enjoy the beautiful weather.
All the folks on the patio were still watching the commotion.

To recap the situation:
My wife is sitting on the ground....
Two little girls are hovering over her....
I'm rushing across the parking lot toward the door....
Surely, it must have appeared that I was hurrying inside to ask someone to call an ambulance or a doctor.

One of the men dining on the patio (perhaps a doctor) was now out in the parking lot heading toward me....
"Do you need some assistance?" he calls out.
"No" I say, "I'm just trying to grab that empty table before someone else comes in and claims it."
"Oh", he says.

I wonder what he must have been thinking.

By the time we got settled on the patio, everyone there had probably labeled me the worst of ogres.... someone more concerned with getting that table than caring for my poor fallen wife.

An hour later after dinner, as we were leaving, one of the servers joked to my wife, "Now you make sure that he looks after you next time."
The word had obviously spread amongst those inside.

I understand how this all must have looked.... but.... please understand....
My wife is perfectly fine!!
She wanted that table!!
And she wanted me to go get it!!

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