Everyone, at one time or another, has a silly accident.  But I think I have more than others – my niece and I – I should say.

First incident – my niece has a toaster oven fall on her head.  That may sound a little farfetched, but it actually wasn’t.  Due to the small kitchen in her condo, she keeps the toaster oven on the top of the refrigerator and moves it down to the small counter when she’s using it.  You can just hear what I’m about to say, can’t you?  She doesn’t get the mini ladder, trying to get dinner ready quickly, reaches up and bam – the toaster oven falls right on her head.  Luckily only some bumps on her head and a bruised ego.

Her second accident involved the blender.  The blender is put away in a cabinet. she is a gifted cook and baker who goes organic and makes her own food as much as possible.  So she’s going to make some kind of organic flour.  Of course we all know that the top part of a blender almost never sits on the counter upright without falling over at least once.  As she’s getting the rest of the blender parts – bam – the blender top rolls off the counter and bashes her arm.  She now sports a lovely gash on her arm.

Now I must admit my foible.  Trying to get one of those ‘under the bed’ containers out from – where else – under the bed I balance myself on my lower arm, reach in and find myself losing my balance.  My elbow crashes into my side and I fall – a total of 6 inches – on my shoulder.  I now know what it means when someone says they saw stars.  But still I chastise myself for being silly and continue to do work around the house. 

The next day it hit – the pain.  My ribs, my shoulder, my entire right side felt like a truck had run over it.  Two weeks and many doctor visits ensued.  The bottom line, I didn’t break anything (luckily), but I tore a tendon and pulled some muscles.  Two weeks later I was able to lift my arm and take a full breathe.  Things are going well.

I’ve broken bones slipping on one step, cracked ribs opening a garage door, bump into things, you name it.  And my niece, I am so sorry to say, has the same luck.

But here’s the question – are we the only ones who have accidents like this?  Are there any more of us out there?  My friends just shake their heads as if they just can’t believe I’ve done something like this again.  My nephew calls my niece Kramer.  Do we need warning signs on us?