A Last Fall Before Fall

Sorry about the wait, but this story is worth it! This past weekend was a real adventure - I ended up with 3 staples in my head, and a slightly meaker spirit...

It happened on Saturday when I went disc golfing with my friends J.T., Matt, and Fr. Beerman. This is not just any old disc golf course - it is deep in the bluffs of MN. It has a small river running through it, and is covered in thick forest, steep hills, and as of late, mud. We decided to get in 9 holes before Adoration, but didn't make it past four. As we approached the fourth hole, we warned Fr. Beerman that there is a steep drop off on the right side of the hole that is to be avoided. But Fr. Beerman is left-handed, and if you know anything about disc golf, you can see why it was hard for him to avoid throwing it right - it is after all a very tight hole.

So I decide to go get his disc. It isn't a big deal - I've seen others go down there before, and I'm pretty experienced at off-roading it in forest preserves. However, the dirt was much drier than usual making it more slippery, and I was not as careful as I could have been, and I soon found myself loosing control. So I try grabbing a branch and missed it, but my other hand grabs a tree to my left. But as the tree turns me around, my hand slips off and I'm suddenly falling down this drop backwards - I am told I tripped over a log and smashed my head into a tree. I lost consciousness for an instant, but as I finish my tumble, I am back, and I stand up quickly to make it look like a minor slip in my quest for the disc. But after gaining my balance, I reach for the back of my head to massage the pain away - I find it to be wet. I then look at my hand and realize I'm bleeding from the back of my head.

To make a long story short, I walked to the road with the aid of J.T. and Matt, Fr. Beerman ran back to the seminary to grab his car and a cold rag, and we raced to the emergency room with J.T. in the back seat. It proved to be less than 10 minutes away and less than an hour and a half later, I was on my way home with 3 staples in my head.

It was crazy, but I am fine. The staples will be out in about a week, and the cuts on my arm, leg, ear, and head should be undetectable in a month or so.