IT WAS THE SAME TOWN, the same club, the same time of night and virtually the same spot! Lefty Schrage took a spill while loading up equipment after our gig at the Mabel Legion last Tuesday - a virtual replay of my fall there back in May!
Coincidence and irony are two words that best describe the crazy aftermath of what was an almost perfect gig last Tuesday - a big crowd, great music, a fun time and even a post-gig, pizza party.
After the last chord of "Girl Crush" had died out and the crowd dispersed, Lefty, Larry and I sat down with five of my high school classmates for some pizza (courtesy of Charlyn Boyle) and good conversation. We were celebrating Ron and Lana Miller visiting from Phoenix, Arizona; and it just happened that at the prize drawing earlier, Charlyn had won a free pizza certificate. So I twisted Charlyn's arm: "How about redeeming it tonight?" Seven, North High classmates (class of '68) showed up Tuesday at Mabel.
(l-r) Doug, Marsha Ruby, Linda Fritz, Lana & Ron Miller, Charlyn Boyle and Dean Fritz.
It didn't take long for us to dig into those two, tasty pizzas and launch into some convivial chat. Topics ranged from university vs. tech school degrees to learning dance steps to navigating a road trip from Phoenix to northeast Iowa and back again.
Eventually the conversation wound down, and the last slice of pizza disappeared. Amid bleary eyes and stifled yawns, the gang decided it was time to hit the road (Ron & Lana had a big drive the next day - heading back to Phoenix;) and Lefty, Larry and I still had equipment to pack up.
Before the gig that night while hauling in gear from the van, I had been telling Lefty that I'd just read an article about "falls." In the article it stated: "Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older adults. An estimated one in four older adults falls each year."
So we kind of resumed that subject at the end of evening while loading up the van. At the entrance of the club, Lefty pointed at the sidewalk: "Is that where you fell back in May?"
"No," I replied, "It was over there" as I gestured a few feet to the right of where he was pointing.
Then not more than a minute later while I was packing a speaker into the van, I heard a terrible thud behind me - like a box of bricks crashing to the ground. I swirled around and, oh no! Lefty was lying facedown in the entryway with his arms to his side, amp rolled across the floor and a torrent of blood streaming towards the doorway threshold.
A strange wave of déjà vu swept over me as I heard myself utter the same words that Keith Zeller had said to me after my fall, "Are you OK??!!"
Before the words were even out of my mouth, that question struck me as totally absurd! Of course he's not "OK." He just tripped and smacked his head on the ground! But in defense of Keith and myself - after such a surreal moment, exclaiming "Are you OK" is more of a shocked reflex than anything else.
Lefty was understandably shaken up having suffered a nasty gash on his forehead. But fortunately there were no major injuries such as a concussion or broken bones. Nevertheless we made a beeline to the ER in Decorah, Iowa and got him thoroughly checked out and stitched up - six stitches to be exact.
 Lefty wearing a compression stocking cap after six stitches at the ER.
They say these things happen in threes. First it was me, then Lefty . . . then??
Well, I found out the next day who victim #3 was - my 93-year-old mother! While at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester on Tuesday for a routine check up, she had fallen in the waiting room and banged up a couple ribs!
Nevertheless, all's well that ends well. Fortunately all injured parties - although stiff and bruised - are doing well and are on the road to recovery.
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