| You pride yourself on being relatively safety | | | | You've been pondering lately all the necessary |
| conscious. You don't skydive, race cars, mountain | | | | utility shutoffs you'd need to do in case that big |
| climb, bungee jump, or participate in other "Bucket | | | | earthquake comes they've been talking about the |
| List" activities that might possibly void your life | | | | potential for for years. And you change the |
| insurance. You don't even ride on roller coasters, | | | | batteries in your smoke detectors twice yearly at |
| just in case there is a clause banning it buried | | | | daylight savings time adjustment just as the local |
| deep within the fine print. You gave up water | | | | fire department recommends. You also have a |
| slides years ago. | | | | carbon monoxide detector plugged into the wall in |
| Ailing in health, admittedly being half a step less | | | | the hallway going to your room. A fire |
| quick and agile as Michael Jordan cutting to the | | | | extinguisher is in the closet just off the kitchen, |
| basket in his prime, or simply a bit clumsy or | | | | and another one is in a separate closet at the |
| ungraceful, you worry at times about living alone | | | | opposite end of the house. An emergency car kit |
| in your home. Railings installed for support in | | | | is in the trunk of your car. What you would really |
| strategic locations around the house may already | | | | like is another railing in the middle of the garage |
| have been suggested by your children and | | | | bolted to the floor that you could hang onto and |
| implemented. The shower or tub may also have | | | | pull yourself out of the car with, and to get |
| additional no-slip patches. You know that if you | | | | yourself steady before you walk into the house. |
| ever had a heart attack, one of the best things | | | | Beyond all these things, you think you are |
| you could do to save your life would be to cough | | | | adequately prepared, although something that |
| deeply and hard (continuously). You also keep a | | | | your nurse daughter said recently has been eating |
| couple of chewable aspirin in small packages in | | | | at you a smidge. She had "lovingly" suggested |
| your wallet at all times to take in case of heart | | | | that you get one of those silly necklaces with a |
| attack as well. Training yourself to self-administer | | | | button that you push in case you fall and can't get |
| the Heimlich Maneuver by sitting in a chair or | | | | up on your own. Well, you think you can still |
| putting your back up against the wall and | | | | manage to get to your feet if you needed to, |
| aggressively thrusting up and in the thumb side of | | | | and you want to still feel somewhat independent. |
| your fist by grasping the fist with the other hand | | | | "It's just precautionary," your daughter said to |
| was checked off your list a few years back | | | | you, "in case you broke a bone and couldn't |
| already. As soon as they figure out a method to | | | | move." You're still mulling it over, thinking she may |
| self-administer CPR, you'll sign up for that class, | | | | be right. Why not? If it'll make her feel better, |
| too. | | | | you rationalize. |