There is a story of a young high school football player who was the son of a peanut farmer and, in the summer, walked through the fields barefoot. When football practice began, he was issued a pair of large high-top cleats that didn’t fit and were uncomfortable. During a game he stumbled and missed a tackle and the runner got past him. He quickly kicked off his cleats and caught the unsuspecting runner from behind, making a tremendous tackle — doing so with bare feet. The story goes he could stumble and still be faster than most kids on the field.
Who stumbles?
I’ve never met a person who hasn’t stumbled in one way or another. Even those who never take risks can stumble. From behind a desk with a telephone in hand, it’s hard to fall but not impossible. It’s even harder for some to admit they’ve fallen down. I’ll never forget an operations manager who admitted, in front of his team and his peers, he had made some very bad mistakes and blundered his way through a project. He had guts. It’s difficult to admit you’ve stumbled. In my book, it takes a real man — one with self esteem and character — to admit faults.
Project slips
A fall from grace is a serious fall. A project leader I encountered had such a fall. His leadership style was a classic type “A,” meaning he was very competitive, strong willed and wanted things done only his way. This style created health issues. He suffered from high blood pressure and had severe anxiety attacks. Still, a sign hung above his office door that said, “My way or the highway.” Unfortunately, he was correct. Several of his staff and many of his craft workers left the project because it was not a fun or a safe place to work. Some even sabotaged his project in retaliation. Such tactics created quality issues resulting in rework. When the customer realized the project was failing and costs were greater than expected, the leader’s head was on the chopping block. Soon after, the company dismissed that leader and brought in a less anxious and more caring person to lead the way.
Trips and tumbles
Another type of fall is the physical kind. According to the National Safety Council’s “Injury Facts 2011,” approximately 9 million people each year receive medical attention for falls. It’s usually the 55 and older group who are prone to falls, but the seniors 65 and older are the ones who sustain four times the number of deaths among any age group as a result of falling. I can remember assisting an elderly person after she fell on a sidewalk. It was not a pretty picture. Nobody wants to see a person injure a hip, a knee or sustain a laceration from a fall. On the TV show “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” it’s humorous to see older people stumble from losing their balance or falling due to a prank. But it is a serious matter when any fall occurs. Would you believe there are more than 25,000 deaths resulting from falls each year? Now, that is no laughing matter.
I once had a baseball coach who retired early due to a fall he took at a construction site. He fell 80 feet and hit scaffold railings multiple times before landing on a sandy plot. His back, an arm and multiple ribs were broken, and he sustained internal injuries as well. The fall and resulting injuries affected his whole family. I played on the team with his son and saw the family was never the same again. They lost their home and their car and became destitute. We took up love offerings, had fundraising benefits and even clothing drives to assist the family. It’s what we did in those days to help. But no one could replace the losses — materially, spiritually or otherwise.
Get up and go
Many of us have more past than future but we don’t want our future to be in a bed or a wheelchair. A paraplegic friend jokingly told me, “You never see an old person in a wheelchair.” “Why?” I asked. He replied, “Because they don’t live long enough.” I think it’s true. So, no more slips, trips and falls for us. Kick off your cleats and keep going, even if you are barefoot.
For more information, contact HASC Customer Relations (281) 476-9900, Ext. 310 or visit www.hasc.com.
