Sam fell flat at his birthday party

Sam, the birthday boy,  not a boy  but a young man, invited many families for a party at his house. All of them assembled early in the big party hall on the first floor, waiting for him to appear on the scene.

Sam was briskly coming down the steps from the second floor. He was dressed in a beautiful suit and his face was beaming happily. All the visitors were watching him coming down, anticipating the celebration. He came almost to the second last step, suddenly missed a step and fell forward with his knees hitting the carpet with a thud.

All the guests were shocked and speechless. A few standing close to him ran forward and helped him rise up.

Sam was stunned by the fall. He was not badly hurt and was able to stand up and walk with a little limp. Now he has two choices –

Choice One

Sam could feel mortified, miserable and ashamed at the way he fell on his birthday in presence of all his guests. He can show his misery by apologizing to them repeatedly, continue to feel miserable throughout the party and distribute his misery to all his guests. He could completely destroy every one’s happy moods. His guests would remember his fall and the miserable way he behaved after it, all their life.

His primary suffering due to the pain in his knees might disappear in a day but his secondary suffering for falling in public might linger for many days, weeks, months or all his life. But he has choice two.

Choice Two

Alternatively, Sam could rise up feeling surprised, look closely at the place he tripped and exaggeratedly laugh saying “What a day to fall!”. He could then join the guests feeling silly, rather than miserable and make every one feel at ease. His guests would remember his response to the fall with admiration and wish they could take their own falls, as lightly as Sam.

The same person, the same fall but what a contrasting choice of responses! Totally different responses, with totally different impacts on own self and others. What choice would you recommend to yourself  and friends when you fall or see someone fall? Choice one or two?

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