Ribs & Safer Roads

On Cinco de Mayo in 2020, I broke two ribs in a spectacular running accident.

 For those short of memory, check out the original blog: “Breaking News & Ribs.”

 Man, that impact really hurt, and returning to the road took six weeks, and for a while, I had to walk!

 Later that year, I was sitting in my driveway, and Natalia Hussey-Burdick, then campaigning to become the State Representative for District 50 in the Hawaii House of Representatives on Oʻahu, walked up and said hello.

 As any good citizen does, I immediately vented about all things political, and Natalia listened and talked and laughed at my jokes. Always, a good sign.

 She also asked about local issues to address in the State House, but all I could think of was how I was dum enough to trip and flip over a pole in the ground, so I mentioned that. Natalia requested pictures and location.

 Here’s one I took right after somebody cut the grass on the corner:

Here’s the side with which my toe collided:

 Note the deadly gray grin of concrete and steel. To you, that may not look like much, but many dangers are relatively small: viruses, bullets, children, teeth, and bad ideas. Anyway, this snapped pole busted some ribs. Mine, anyway.

 Natalia went into action.

 One day, as I ran by the scene of my former unexpected and unfortunate flight, I glanced down. The dangerous obstruction had been removed. Gone. Marked only by a sandy circle in the grass. Good riddance, evil obstruction!

 Local government works, my friends, and that means that people as luckless or clueless as me will foot one fewer danger as we stroll or jog the world.

 Thanks, Natalia, and to all your staffers, too, for making my way through the world a little easier.