Wednesday, October 28, 2009

How Was Your Trip Last Fall?

Hey, friends. I hope you are well. It has been a crazy busy week. And I have spent the better part of the last 5 days without internet. But it has been a good weekend. Wait. Weekend? It's Wednesday. It feels like Monday. We sang in Yonges Island, SC on Sunday (had a great time with new SC friends), flew to Missouri on Monday, and sang all day at the Missouri Baptist Convention all day yesterday. And by all day, I mean we left the hotel at 7:15am and got back to the hotel at 10:30pm. I think I left a vocal cord sitting on the stage of the church somewhere. We had a great time, though.

Something happened to me this weekend that those of you who know me well are going to love. In fact, if you are one of my close friends, this is going to make your day. It's really not a very big deal or a very funny story. But I'm going to tell it anyway. Feel free to stop reading if you fear boredom. I'm about to squeeze a 3 sentence story into hundreds of words.

While we were at Yonges Island this past weekend, we were literally so far away from a main town that there were no hotels even remotely close to the church. So, the team and I stayed in a house. Not just any house. But a hotel-sized house. I'm talking The Shining sized house. Maybe not that big. But we all had our own rooms and our own bathrooms with all the girls on one floor on the boys on a different floor. The word gargantuan comes to mind. So anyway, on Saturday night, we had some practicing to do, because the church had requested we do some songs that we had never done live. So we got together in one of the dens of the house and rehearsed. At some point, Seth got up and went to the restroom. While he was gone, I decided I would be a wise-guy and get up and hide and jump out and scare the daylights out of him when we came back (yes, I am 13). I walked to the door frame of the room I thought he went into. Then I heard a noise to my right. I turned to my right, and that's when it happened. My feet began slipping and flapping and spinning at what seemed like a ridiculously fast pace. It was as if they were moving so fast that they were just a blur, much like the Coyote when he is racing off a cliff. Anyway, I began to take a tumble. My hands flew up in the air as I began to scramble to grab onto the door frame, as well as whatever invisible handrail I thought was hanging in space in front of me. I literally saw my feet at almost eye-level, as my shin hit the door frame. I remember thinking to myself that I was in a mess. I continued plummeting to the ground for what had to be at least 21 minutes...or maybe 3 seconds. I'm not sure. After my hard-fought scramble, I landed on the ground, right shoulder blade first, followed by my right elbow, right booty, and then the rest of my mid-air self.

My first thought: "Dear Lord, please don't let anyone have seen me." My second thought: OUCH. I jumped up as fast as I could. Julie saw it happened and had already jumped up because she thought I was going to be half-dead. She began saying things like "Oh no!" Are you alright?" "Oh my goodness!" And then I knew how ridiculous I looked when she finally just began saying," Bless. Bless. Bless." As in, "Bless your heart, you idiot."

So I immediately started laughing, because that's my natural reaction when someone falls. Even when I fall. I can't help it. I'm weird. And a little mischievous, maybe. But it is just my automatic nervous reaction when I see someone fall (as long as the person is not seriously hurt. That's a different story). I am sucker for any youtube video of anyone falling. So I'm laughing. And at this point Seth is back out, and Lici is up checking on me too. They are laughing, but also a little bit like, "Is it OK for me to laugh because you finally got yours, even though it was an abnormally hard fall?" I assured them that I was OK, and I was laughing too. But then something weird happened. I began to have these convulsive-like chills. Seriously. Chills and shivers that were out of control. They were staring at me like I had grown three arms out of my skull. But I couldn't help it. I felt OK. I mean, I was hurting and freezing cold and jerking around with shivers uncontrollably. But I felt fine otherwise. They told me that my skin had turned not just pale, but gray. They helped me to a mirror so I could see for myself. And they were right. My face was freaky-weird-blue-gray. I didn't know what in the world was going on. They took me to the couch and put about 5 blankets on me. I sat there and shivered for about 15 minutes, and then it finally went away.

I'm not really sure why the shivers happened. Shock of some kind? I don't know. Either way, it was weird. I knew it was a loud thump when the host mom yelled from the kitchen, one floor and 1.2 miles away, "Is everything OK up there?" They were very sweet and took great care of my walking-challenged self.

I was pretty sore the next day (I still am).

So, to all you friends of mine that I have so mercilessly laughed at when you have tripped, slid, fallen, or been gravity-challenged in any way, now's your chance to laugh it up. Really. Take your moment. I deserve it.

If you need me today, I will be hobbling through various airports on my way home.

And in the words of the wise Casey Kasem, keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha!Ha!Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!Wish I could have seen that.

April Willett

Longmeadow Mama said...

Are you sure you didn't break any bones? The pale/gray shivery shakes reaction is exactly what happened to my daughter when she broke her arm and my son when he broke a foot! If you're still hurting I'd go get checked out.
Take care of yourself!
Kelli

HIS Child said...

Ouch,
Travis I give a yes and Amen to Longmeadow Mama's suggestion. Take good care of yourself.

Celeste

ocean mommy said...

I feel like I need to say sorry for laughing so hard. That is too funny... and the chills/shiver thing... A LITTLE WEIRD!!! Especially after the Shining reference. :)

Hope today both feet stay firmly on the ground!
stephanie

Tiffani said...

What the heydiddle, Trav?!! I'm glad you're well enough to blog about it but def. get checked out!

Um, maybe that's the Almighty's way of saying "don't scare your friends" ;)

Anonymous said...

I could almost hear the cartoon sound effects as you related your scrambling feet! Too funny! And I agree, falling is hysterical so long as no one is seriously injured, or I don't know - turning gray!

And it does sound as if you were in a bit of shock there...not that I'm a doctor or anything, I just play one on the internet!;)

Hope you're healed again soon!

AMENMom said...

WOW. Glad you're okay.

I have the same reaction to falls. Including when my husband fell through our ceiling while working in the attic and got stuck dangling halfway in our living room. I was honestly laughing too hard to help get him out. I'm laughing again now just thinking about it. I'll probably get mine someday too.

Cameron Magee said...

Lord, humble us today, as we prepare our hearts to worship You.

whoops

CAROL LIVIN FOR GOD said...

Hey Travis hope you are okay but I would go get checked out to be on the safe side. I fell in May 2009 off of a truck at work and felt the same not cold or shaky but queasy to my stomach a found out I have to torn ligaments in my ankle after 5 months and 2 mri later.
Hope you get better and go checked out .
Be praying for you
Love a seista Carol Albuquerque NM

Leah Adams said...

Bless your heart!! Good grief, you could have been badly hurt, but of course you know that.

Given the chills/shaking/shock reaction I agree with everyone else that you really should get checked out. Hope you feel better soon.

Leah

Anonymous said...

WOW. I feel too bad for you to make fun. And for me, that's saying something.

Sorry you fell and went thumpetty thump thump.

And I'm back!

Nesha said...

My security code is chumet, so... Chum, I agree that you should watch yourself and get checked out. I am also a big laugh person in situations where it is so not appropriate but not sure what to do.
I can just hear Julie saying that you! lol I usually say 'okay' like 20X's when my boys do crazy stuff since I can't tell them how it really seem.

Deirdre said...

oh drat! someone else got to the thumpetty thump thump joke before i could.

*grin*

Jon and Angie Tyner said...

HAHAHAHA!!!!! You're a girl if you go to the doctor!!

Jon

Auntie A said...

Well you sure couldn't tell you were hurting from your amazing performance Sunday night. I can't tell you how much my family of "Travis" fans love you and your team. We have seen you on many occasions, and could not believe you came to the sticks of Youngs Island...I am next door in Hollywood...SC that is!!! Please, if you can, tell us how to get your Moses song, we all loved it. On a personal note THANK YOU for singing 2000 years my very favorite.
PS- I laugh when people fall too, I can't help it!

Anonymous said...

I have written LOL before, but honestly you had me LAUGHING OUT LOUD over the description of your fall. I do hope you're okay though. Thanks for the belly laugh!

Tonya said...

AGH!! This reminds me of the time I fell flat on my face during Sunday morning worship in front of the ENTIRE congregation while trying to gracefully make my way from the choir loft to the piano. I tried SO HARD to grab the railing or anything I could, but there was nothing within reach! What made it worse is that I was supposed to sing the special that morning. So, when it was time for me to sing, I carefully stepped over to pick up my mic, smiled meekly at the congregation and said "You know, that wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't have to do THIS!" Fortunately, by the grace of God, I got through it and had several folks give me hugs after the service.

Nancy from Yonges Island said...

Well, I don't know if I'm thrilled or mortified that we are "on the map" as the place Travis almost killed himself. We all at Christ-ST Pauls hope that you are feeling OK. Maybe the chills had something to do with your previous blog--you know, the chills are multiplying? You never know....