My First Real Flashback
I just left Shoneys in Walterboro after having my first real flash back in 41 months. The food was excellent, but the floor was a major threat to anyone’s health.
First, I walked up to the salad bar and almost slipped on the wet floor. Immediately, I went and got management that assured me the wet floor would be dried.
Later, I walked back towards the buffet another route only to almost shatter my already nerve damaged body. By the grace of God I caught myself. As I headed airborne I literally had to grab with both hands the table of some folks nearby.
In that moment, I came face to face with my past and present reality. How just someone’s negligence nearly 3 1/2 years ago has changed my entire life. You see, you don’t understand until it happens to you. Just someone failing to clean up drinks spilled gave me permanent nerve damage in nearly two thirds of my body. I literally bear this miserable cross everyday from sun up to sun down. In that moment, I just couldn’t allow this to happen to someone else.
So, I approached management again, but this time a response was not optional. I refused to be seated until someone gave that floor attention. The manager in no way recognized the seriousness of the issue. This time I actually slipped on sand that covered the floor. She said, “that’s what we’ve been told by DHEC to do when it gets wet.” I said, “Sand on a hard surfaced floor only makes things more slippery.” She smirked and still did nothing. I was beside myself because I actually realized it’s danger. I said, “I’m either going to have to sit here or block this area off. Because someone is going to get really hurt or possibly killed by this negligence.”
I discovered that many of the waitresses have realized it’s danger. One employee informed me that one man just slipped on the floor last week. He hit his head so hard it knocked him out and he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. I said “ and that wasn’t enough to wake somebody up.” It was made clear that they knew that the place needs to be shutdown for a week and the floors fixed.
Instead, I just watched them throw sand all over the ceramic tiles. My heart was pounding then and still continues now. I used to laugh about the commercial that said “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Until I fell and actually couldn’t get back up. It’s a life altering experience that can be worse than many car wrecks. I pray nothing happens to anyone around there. But, I will be making sure something is done to fix those floors. I can’t allow myself to do nothing when I know someone’s life could literally be turned upside down!
Pastor Craig Crosby 