My fantasy:  I would announce to you the sale of my first commercial installation in spite of it all.

Version 2 – I took a bad fall in mid-September, broke my shoulder and was unable to sew. Fortunately, I could manipulate a mouse and created new designs In PowerPoint to add to my felted wool wall collection.

The truth: There was no sale this month.

This newsletter is about where life meets art, or what happens when life collides with one’s well-made plans. This issue documents a specific example of my art practice meeting life on life’s terms.

On September 11 (yeah, 9/11), I attended a design event at 200 Lexington aka The Design Center. Enjoying my dedicated practice of viewing art and spending time with other artists, I met a friend at a showroom there, networked, and heard a brief talk about Asian textiles. We shared a lively dinner at Han Bat in the Korean district of Manhattan and walked out to our subway stations located nearby.

We parted company on Sixth Avenue and I, exhilarated after seeing textiles and having a meaningful conversation over bibimbap, walked briskly towards the A-Train in the underground passageway at Penn Station.

While walking (too fast, I admit), I slipped, tried to protect my fall using my left arm and broke my shoulder.

Rather than elaborate on the ordeal, I’ll bullet what I consider to be the miracles, good fortune, and kindnesses that have been happening to and for me since my accident.

Kindness of Strangers

• I was immediately surrounded by MTA police.
• A nurse in scrubs stopped and assisted, urging me to put my feet higher than my head which kept me conscious and alert.
• An ambulance was dispatched.

Built-In Helpers

• My Apple watch recognized that I’d fallen and couldn’t get up; asked if I needed assistance.
• I was taken to Bellevue Hospital’s Trauma Center*.
• X-rays taken on the premises showed my humerus broken in three places.
• I was shown how to dictate into Google Docs so I could write this newsletter.
• A post to Instagram spread the word quickly with loving and helpful responses.
  • Forget wearing a bra for a few months!
  • Buy ponchos!

Family and Friends

• My three kids were on the phone with me throughout the evening.
• My brother brought me lunch.
• Close friends brought a 12-step meeting to my living room.
• Cards, gifts, visits – people reaching out to see how I’m doing.
• A virtual Zoom dinner with my NYC bestie.
• My building has a Facebook page where I shared my condition and asked for help.
  • A neighbor walked with me on a stroll around our neighborhood.
  • He informed me that he works for a company that sells orthopedic shoes. I can get a 60% discount through him. I shall.
  • In the elevator going up to my floor, a young man saw me struggling with a big package balancing on my navy-blue granny cart. He offered to help me to my apartment. It was shelving for a new IKEA closet that I have. He ended up installing them for me.
  • My downstairs neighbor took the bus with me to return a DVD to my local library.

Self-Care

• To feel human again, I scheduled appointments for a pedicure at a local nail salon and a wash and blow-dry at a hair place nearby.
• Good friends accompanied me to each of those places.

My wish for the next several weeks is to recover physically so that I can get back to my professional life. I’m starting two coaching groups in early October that are a pleasure and require nothing from my shoulder.

I can still design on the computer.

I’m able to sew a tiny bit.

I am trusting that the momentum I’ve created over the past four and a half years will carry me over this long hurdle and into my artistic future.

Looking back at past challenges in my life, I see that each has created extraordinary opportunities once they were overcome. I trust that this ‘insult’ to my agenda will do the same. It helps me to keep the faith, to stick with my physical therapy exercises, and to share this all honestly with you.

I’m in deep gratitude for all the gifts I’ve received, and that this is a healable injury.

Early last month I thought that my biggest problem was my pool’s closing after Labor Day for a 4-6 month renovation to their filtration system. Where would I be able to keep up my twice weekly lap-swimming?

Problem solved! Both the pool and I should be good to go by winter.

* Blessing: Turned out, Harvey Weinstein had been admitted the night before amidst great chaos, which had long since subsided.