Faint

  As I have stated earlier, I take depression medication.  One of the side effects is feeling dehydrated.  I try and control it with water or Gatorade, and most times it works well.  Another thing that I have stated earlier is that I am a political junkie.  So, what do these two things have in common?  That is this story.

 The Presidential inauguration was on January 20, 2020.  That was a Wednesday.  Wednesday is my grocery day.  My apartment complex has a van or bus that takes us to buy groceries, since so many of us don't have cars and some have disabilities.  I wanted to see the inauguration.  It is historical, and I try not to miss any, if I can.  So, I decided to go to the grocery store on Tuesday the 19th.  I also had to go to the post office, so I walked there and then was going to take the city bus to Food Lion.  I had my backpack to carry the groceries.  

 I went to the post office, and then it was on to the bus stop, which was next to a Waffle House.  It was a warm day for January.  As I was waiting on the bus to come, I started feeling hot and was sweating.  I leaned against a concrete pylon and started to feel faint.  I blacked out and fell face first into the ground.  My chest hit a metal pole in the ground, and my ribs hit the concrete going down.  I was stunned.  There was a guy also waiting for the bus, and another guy behind me.  There were also people in the Waffle House.  Did anyone help me get up?  No.  As I struggled to stand, I fell again.  I hit the same spot as before.  Did anyone help me get up this time?  No.  

 I gave up on the idea of going to the grocery store.  I pulled out my phone and called a cab to take me home.  I had bruised my sternum, ribs and shoulders.  I ended up going to get groceries the next day with some folks from my complex and recording the inauguration to watch later.  It took my sternum about six months to feel better.  My shoulders were previously injured on the Ark trip, so that took longer to heal.  My ribs never really healed, as I have a recurring injury from years ago that flares up from time to time.  I learned a valuable lesson that day.  I don't have to watch everything live.  There are enough news channels that will repeat things over and over again.