Slippery When Clumsy

Just so you guys know, the floors and stairs at Vida Cantina are extraordinarily slippery.  I know this because of the ghastly fall that took place yesterday evening during dinner and the Alive After 5 rush.  Not only was my ego shattered and destroyed, but my hip, shins, knees and an elbow fell victim as well.  


Here's a quick play-by-play. I was upstairs with some new friends shooting a photo shoot for a Vida marketing campaign.  I realized I left my keys, credit card and ID with my boyfriend Allen as he dropped me off earlier that evening. (Parking is an arm and a leg at the EpiCentre for those unfamiliar.) After hurrying down the stairs and landing on the last step, I lost my footing. Legs, arms, dress and hair all flew into the air and swiftly landed with a not-so-graceful thud on the floor. 

Waiters rushed to help.  People turned to view the aftermath.  It was awesome.  I sit up and fix my hair.  I'm ignoring all the "help" in hopes they will all just disappear.  I stand up and carefully walk to meet Allen outside.  Hips, knees, shins and elbow throbbing.

Once I get back inside and slowly advance to the taunting staircase, I notice low snickers and quiet fingers being pointed in my direction.  Again, awesome.  So I just run up the stairs.  I now realize that there was a great risk of falling again.  Fortunately, I made it up alright.  


I tell some of the girls what happened.  They all felt bad for me and asked if I was ok and other typical courteous remarks.  Then, I get a response I wasn't expecting.  "You should sue."  The girl that said it was clearly joking and laughed even as she said it, but it sparked a thought in my mind.  


This is the people we've become.  Something happens and we immediately consider our own compensation.  I'm not going to start into the typical, "America is wasting away into an evil European country" rant.  It just disappointed me is all.  I don't care where you live or who you are, kindness is always a good thing.  Putting others first, but it sounds so simple.  


It's hard to see how not demanding for compensation from a large company is putting others first.  Many could argue that a large company can afford it and an individual harmed cannot.  This might be true.  I'm no wealthy person.  If this hip ache turns into a fracture or something more serious than a bruise, I'll have trouble paying the bills for it.  A large restaurant could pay up without breaking the bank.  


It doesn't matter though.  If I file a complaint, someone, an individual, working for this company will be buried in paperwork, blamed for the slick floors, or could potentially lose their job.  I need to consider that individual before I consider myself.  Odds are, I'll be fine in a few days.  If not, I'll suffer through it.  Life throws stuff at me sometimes.  I just take it and move on.  Manipulating others into fixing my problem isn't good character.  Challenges make me stronger.


Disclaimer:  This was not an extreme situation.  Every situation has unique problems and requires unique solutions.

Of course, this is exactly what I looked like. :)