Skip to content
falling down getting up

Day Sixteen: Falling Down and Getting Up

Residencies are a lot of falling down and getting up. Metaphorically, as I grapple with words and ideas. But today, I literally fell down. Hard.

Daily Word Count: 2,148
Cumulative Words Written: 35,498
Total Words Discarded: 5,200
Total Chapters Drafted: 14
Time Spent Writing Today: 4 hours

Residencies are a lot of falling down and getting up. Metaphorically, as I grapple with words and ideas.

Residencies aren’t supposed to be literal disasters of falling down and getting up.

Remember when I wrote about meeting the locals? I woke up early for my famous mani/pedi appointment at the Messejana community center. Showered. Even shaved my legs (not something that happens often on residency.)

After making a thin book full of words in two weeks, I was ready to be pampered.

And instead I fell on the sidewalk outside the house. I was on my phone, not paying attention to where I was going. My left foot slid off the curb, and I came down on my right knee. NOTE: DO NOT WALK WITH EYES BURIED IN CELL PHONE SCREEN. DUH.

falling down getting up

I got up, brushed myself off, and limped to my appointment only to be told I didn’t have one. Pathetically, I texted Monica, and she came over to intercede. In less than a minute, my butt was in the nail chair. Front-and-center. Eyes still teary and ankle throbbing, but I was determined to have some pampering, dammit.

How do they look?

falling down getting up

Nothing makes a writer productive like being bed-bound, foot propped up on pillows under an ice pack for days. But it could’ve been worse. Much, much worse.

So I’m taking my knocks, making a lot of words, and saying thanks that I don’t have to find out what the inside of a Portuguese hospital looks like.

LESSON: Getting up is better than falling down, but I refuse to stay down. Here’s to life.

To follow my residency at Buinho Creative Hub from the beginning, CLICK HERE and read forward.

Follow Me!

Share this post

6 Comments

  1. Ha! You were *that* person…the one we shake our heads at, nose buried in the phone. Ah, humility. I hope the pain recedes quickly and there are no complications.

    1. Author

      I am in my pajamas with my foot propped on pillows. I’ve been in this position all day. Already less swollen but very bruised. Hope by resting, elevating and icing to get it back to normal by Sunday. 🙂

  2. Ouch! I’m so sorry. I haven’t been able to read consistently so I’m getting caught up. I ended up in the emergency room (by ambulance) a few years ago after taking a face-plant at work–yes, nose in the cell phone. I don’t do it any more, though. It’s a painful lesson. 🙁

  3. Beautiful – and the color suits you so well. 😀

Comments are closed.

Copyright Andra Watkins © 2024
Site Design: AGW Knapper