2024-11-05 “Near Miss” by Hannah (born 2002)

Well… This happened…

Devon and I are back at the pet store—the one in Queens where the original blueprints and what’s really here are so different. Today, we had to locate the new (as of 7 years ago) HVAC controller junction box that was supposed to be in a big metal panel hanging on the wall in the stockroom.

Ladder? Yes—attached to the wall. And, I long ago started carrying flats in my backpack, so I had them on.

All went according to plan until I started down the ladder. My blouse got caught on a bracket. I was going down. It didn’t want to go down. My balance was compromised? Whatever… I descended about two rungs rapidly leaving most of my blouse above me.

Buttons went hither and yon. Yes, there was tearing of silk. The drop ripped my shirt wide open and for a blink, I was sort of hanging (literally) by threads.

No, I was not hurt. No, I did not fall. I recovered and got to the bottom of the ladder where Devon waited, iPad in hand where he’d been taking notes as I called things out from inside the panel.

“You okay?”

I nodded as I inspected myself. “I’m good. Blouse is ruined, I suppose.”

“I see that,” Devon replied.

I pulled what was left of my shirt together.

Devon shook his head. “I mean… not like that…”

“I don’t care,” I replied, further inspecting my blouse. “Seriously, I don’t care… blouse is history…”

I’m not trying to flex here, but I’ve worked hard at getting a nice professional wardrobe. This little misstep is going to cost me.

But, I guess the good thing is I wasn’t hurt.  And yes, the manager was very worried.

Anyway, I’m hanging out in the women’s room while Devon goes across the street to get me a hoodie or something to put on.

I guess another sour note is this… 

I don’t mean to imply anything, here, but it seems that, if someone should at some point see my shirt flapping open is should have been Merritt, not Devon. That hasn’t happened, and isn’t something “in the works” at this point. So… yeah… that…