While I was running near the Rajbhavan in Trivandrum, the streetlights went off at 6 am. It was still dark but I kept running, daydreaming in my head.
Then suddenly, I was abruptly brought to my senses. In the darkness, I tripped on the uneven roadside pavement and before I even realized it, I came down crashing on the brick-layered sidewalk. Screaming with overwhelming pain, it took me a minute to regain composure.
By then, a bunch of people had gathered and graciously offered to help me. But I was able to hobble back to my car.
When I assessed the damage, my knees were badly bruised and bloodied. Naturally, the pain was excruciating.
And one particularly deep gash was just a few millimeters to the left of my knee. Had it been 1 cm to the right, it would have shattered my kneecap.
So, here is the question: Was it my unlucky day?
I am not the most optimistic person by temperament. But I couldn’t ignore that if that particular gash had been in a little different location, I would have not walked for a long time.
I decided — it was my lucky day.
I am better, and within a week, I want to start running again.
Every small setback that happens is also a bigger setback that did not happen.
Sometimes luck comes well-disguised.