getting an injury due to clutter

[sunshineshouse]

Aside from the almost ever-present bruises from knocking into something, I have also fallen through the floor of my attic (hung on by a leg to a rafter) and stepped on a nail in a board under leaves in my cluttered side yard. Of course in both instances I was working on CLEARING the clutter.

[cellybird]

Haha. Just yesterday, something piled on my living room desk fell on my foot, leaving a nice bruise!

The most noteworthy clutter injury I ever had was this metal box I owned as a child. Over the years, it got crushed down and was pretty much useless, but I still kept it under my bed.

One day I was in a huge hurry, and I accidentally kicked the sharp edge of the box with the side of my ankle. Huge cut, blood everywhere.

And then when we were moving, before I finally threw it away, the same thing happened again! That box was out to kill me.

[maryb26]

I broke my toe and the side of my foot on my husbands clutter.

I fell down and my face hit the pavement due to yard clutter.

I nearly tripped and fell in my kitchen because of my husbands clutter.

[messyme]

I'm sorry to hear about everyone's injuries!

I've only gotten various cuts and bruises over the years; but I tend to be a bit clumsy, and I'm sure that I would've gotten many of them without the clutter! The injuries I've had over the years (ex: twisted ankle from stepping off the sidewalk while walking the dog, banged-up shin from falling on a steep hill while outside, etc.) have mostly happened outside of my house. I do have 3 long, thin scars on my arm, though, from scraping it on an air conditioner (which was not in a window at the time, but in my kitchen on the floor). Luckily they're on the outside of my arm, or they'd look like I had cut myself on purpose, because of their shape. I was surprised that they scarred because they weren't bad cuts. The 3 cuts didn't happen all at once -- it took me that long and those many injuries to figure out that I better find a better place for the air conditioner!

Mostly though, I think the clutter in my house has been protective! Because of it, I walk more slowly and carefully. I have some clutter on the stairs which I know people say is dangerous, but the only time it's been an issue has been when it's been cleaned -- then the kids, instead of walking down the stairs holding the railing as usual, tend to walk down faster, and often slip with their sock feet on the carpet! Because of the kids, I do keep it as safe as I can, with paths. But those shopping bag handles -- I've gotten my feet caught in those, too!