Sara Davidson
|March, 17, 2023
It was years in the planning. And it was over in 7 days, when I stumbled and fell onto concrete and had to be medivacked to a hospital in Arusha, Tanzania.
But what a week! I had signed up for a two-week safari in 2020 with Michael Ellils, a naturalist in Northern California who leads “Footloose Forays,” wildlife trips to Africa and South America. The safari was canceled because of Covid, but resumed in 2023.
photo by David Shoup
It’s expensive and was to have been a birthday present to myself, but when the safari was offered again, I was three years older, which turned out to be significant. I’d been suffering from vertigo for a decade, and each year it seemed to become more troublesome. But a friend I trust, a great adventurer, had told me, “Do NOT miss this trip!”
THE RUN-UP
We were sent long lists of what to do—get tetanus shots and anti-malaria pills, put our names on all clothes and white electronic charging cords because they all look the same. I had to buy: a duffel bag with wheels, a seat cushion for the hours of bouncing on a hard seat, and expensive professional binoculars. “You’re spending a lot on this trip,” Michael warned. “Don’t skimp on the binoculars.”
We were told not to wear black or dark pants because they attract tsetse flies , but all I owned were black pants. After buying pale ones, I sprayed all the clothes I was packing with insect repellent designed for hunters in deep woods.
Exhausted and excited, I flew from Denver to Atlanta to Amsterdam where I spent two woozy days adjusting to the time change. Then we flew from Amsterdam to Arusha, Tanzania, arriving in the dark to meet Michael, who was wearing knee-length shorts and sandals in the balmy night.
There were 16 of us: three couples and ten women, of whom I was the oldest, along with Jane, my friend from Hawaii who’s a retired emergency room doctor. The first morning, we climbed into Land Rovers with open sides and open tops so you could stand up and get a broader view. We bumped over crude dirt roads, stopping to stare at giraffes, baboons, antelope, and bizarre red mounds that were termite colonies, 6 to 18 feet tall, with red fingers pointing at the sky.
The omnipresence of termites is why the locals don’t build their homes with wood.
The most unattractive—actually, ugly—animals were warthogs, descended from pigs, who had flat faces with big bulging warts and four long tusks.
Their babies were cute, though, and we saw one staring at a group of hyenas on a nearby rock pile. A baby hyena started slithering low in the grass, making its way toward the baby warthog who was standing apart from its sounder, or group. The hyena was creeping closer and closer, hidden by the grass, while the baby warthog seemed oblivious. Suddenly the mother warthog planted herself in front of the baby, like a big woman with hands on her hips, giving the hyena the evil eye. The hyena turned and slithered back to its group—a cackle of hyenas.
We ended the day at a safari lodge in an area they call “Giraffic Park,” because of the abundance of giraffes—babies, youth, and elders. I stood watching them at the edge of a field, when our head Tanzanian guide, Freddy, came up beside me. I told him I’ve always felt an affinity with giraffes, “perhaps because of their long necks and the proud way they hold their heads.”
“Maybe it’s your favorite animal?” he asked.
“Yes. What’s yours?”
“Elephant,” he said promptly. “They’re so smart, and caring for their family, for each other. They have great emotional depth, and they like to touch things, to feel everything.” He said they can eat any kind of plant, send sound waves through the soil, and filter water through sand. “They can pick up a dime, and they can knock over a tree.”
I resolved to watch them more closely.
The next day, we went for a short walk, passing more giraffes and a herd of cape buffalo. We were told to keep silent as we passed the buffalo, and I began to have trouble with balance. I’d been told there wasn’t much walking on the trip, we’d mostly be in vehicles, so I hadn’t brought my hiking poles.
Big mistake. Without the poles, I was weaving and stumbling. If a predator had been watching our group to pick out the weakest animal to attack, it would have been me.
We often paused to look at birds. We’d been told there were a thousand species in the Serengeti, and Freddy seemed to know them all. He’d stop the Land Rover to point out a pair, but all I could see was a tree. Michael explained how we could find the birds. “The front of the vehicle is 12 o’clock. Look at 4 o’clock, then follow the branch that’s curvlng upward…”
“I see them!” I cried. There was a pair of bright emerald green love birds, almost iridescent, nestled in a hollow in the trunk.
In other trees we saw leopards and lions perched, even sleeping, on a branch, their tails and legs dangling down. It did not look comfortable, although it looked safe.
In mid-day, we came upon a pride of lions feasting on three zebras they’d killed. Michael told us, “The female lions do the kill, then they eat in order of seniority.” When we pulled up, there were six other vehicles surrounding the lions, with passengers standing up through the tops, taking photos. The lions seemed indifferent.
photo by David Shoup
The larger, older lions had stuffed themselves and were lying down, their bellies extended, sleeping. The younger cubs were working on the zebras, whose black and white stripes stood out from the pride. One cub pushed his whole head inside a zebra’s belly and when he pulled it out, his face was covered with blood. It was hard to watch, and I could not tear my eyes away. Any feelings of sorrow for the zebra were mitigated by reflecting on how many animals we eat, yet don’t personally kill
BIRTHDAY
The safari was a gift to myself for my birthday on February 5. But when that day came, I did not mention it, and begged my friend Jane not to say anything. We had a delicious buffet dinner—all the meals were sensational, well cooked, and plentiful. The head chef came out and apologized that there was no dessert. He said there’d been an accident in the kitchen, and we’d have an extra desert the next night.
Suddenly, the lights were dimmed and a conga line came out from the kitchen—mostly men, who danced around the tables, pumping their arms and singing in Swahili, “Ha kuna ma-ta-ta.” We recognized it from the movie, the Lion King; it means “no worries.” Ha kuna ma-ta-ta. I started filming it with my phone, thinking it was some ritual dance, but then I noticed one of the women dancing was carrying a cake, a birthday cake. “Jambo jambo, Ha kuna ma-ta-ta,” they sang, which morphed into “Happy birthday to you.” I was stunned. How did they know? I’d told no one. But we’d all submitted our passports to Michael, which had our birth dates.
The cake was placed in front of me and the large lone candle went off like a fire cracker. It was delicious.
THE FALL
Two days later, I was leaving my hut in the morning and headed for the Land Rovers. Outside the door, I tried to lock it, slipped in the key but it wasn’t catching. I had to jiggle it, and bent down to get a better look. Then I rose and swiveled to turn around when I stumbled, lost my balance, and before I could break the fall, my face, the left side of my face, hit the concrete slab on which the tent was resting. Had I hit dirt or grass, the impact wouldn’t have been so strong. My son later said jokingly that I’d fallen on the only concrete around.
I let out a scream, and people came running. The pain was acute, and my face immediately started turning black and blue, the entire left side from eyebrow to chin. Jane, who’d been an emergency room physician for decades, sat me down and ran her hands on both sides of my face, feeling for differences in the side I’d hit. She said she’d like to have a CT scan done, at the nearest hospital that had the ability to do it.
Fortunately, I’d purchased a service, Emergency Assistance Plus (EAP), many years before, which promises that if you’re injured away from home, anywhere in the world, and need to go to a hospital, they will transport you home at no cost, other than the premium you’ve paid.
In less than an hour, a small plane landed at the safari lodge to take me to the NSK Hospital in Arusha. As I was walking out, one of the women in our group, Nancy, implored me, “You don’t have to go.” I was wearing dark glasses that covered half my face. When I raised them, she did a double take. “You should go,” she said
At the hospital, they did a CT scan which showed I’d broken three small bones around the eye. They said I could have surgery or just let the bones heal on their own, which is what I chose.
The hospital was an adventure. To my surprise, I received excellent care and such warmth and kindness, more than I’ve received at U.S. hospitals. I had a private room (not luxurious but large) and three doctors examined me. Everyone I encountered was smiling. A male nurse immediately came into my room with a grin and announced, “I am here for you.” And he was, along with a dozen others. One of the docs was an expat surgeon. I was sitting on the bed when he entered the room, and he dropped to a knee to study my face.
“Are you proposing?” I said.
He smiled. “Yes. That you have dinner with my wife and me, when you leave the hospital.” Two days later, when I was discharged, they took me to a “Greek” restaurant that served excellent Italian food, and I moved to a hotel to wait for a nurse from EAP to arrive and escort me home.
The nurse handled everything: settled me in a wheelchair, carried luggage, checked us in, got us quickly through immigration and customs, and took my vitals regularly to make sure I was stable. All I had to do was be wheeled along. We bonded, and were in transit the next 32 hours before I landed in Denver and my guy was there to pick me up.
It’s now one month later, and the bruises have mostly healed. But the images from the Serengeti are burned in my mind: the lake filled with thousands and thousands of pink flamingos; the elephant walk—more than 30 trooping along in file; and the lions bloody and sleepy from their feast. Even half the safari was a gift… and I’m grateful.
BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
I’m always engrossed in one and I’m picky. I want to share with you the last three that have held me riveted.
1. Kurt Vonnegut, the Making of a Writer, by Dan Wakefield. If you like Vonnegut, you’ll love this. It’s packaged as a “Young Aduilt” book, but it’s fine for adults: deep, heartfelt, and laugh outloud funny. The closing paragraph is chilling. If you get to it, please let me know how you feel.
2. Saying it Loud; 1966—The year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement. This reads like a suspense novel, with the most compelling characters, from Martin Luther King to Stokely Carmichael. It tells the hair-raising story of how Civil Rights morphed into Black Power. I was a reporter covering the movement, but this is the inside story, a must read to understand where and how race relations have evolved.
3, The Critic’s Daughter, by Priscilla Gilman. If you love words and writing, this is a delight. She’s the daughter of super agent Lyn Nesbit and literary critic Richard Gilman, and it’s a touching, emotional story of growing up in literary New York.
Oh, Sara, being out of the country and falling on your face – I can hear your trauma. And I feel your pain, too. I did the same thing in Canada 5 years ago; I tripped and broke both jaws and my chin. I also had travel insurance so flew home to TX to have surgery and heal.
Thank you for the vivid picture you painted of your safari adventure. The photos were outstanding!
Wishing you healing and joy.
Shalom,
Liz B. in DFW, TX
Hey, lovely sister! Thanks for another great essay–I so look forward to each of them and feel like I get to know you better, despite our long absences from each other these days! I didn’t know this story at all, and would love to hear more when you return to CO! In harmony, Janis
your blogs never disappoint…
Reading about your trip to the Serengeti brought back all the memories of my summer trip to Tanzania and Uganda. Your description of the lions eating the zebras is amazing. The lions sleeping in the trees did look totally uncomfortable however necessary to keep an eye out for their next meal. I’m sorry you didn’t get to spend that last week in Africa though I can imagine the photos taken and the memories you have will remain with you forever.
I also have had balance issues…your story hit home…this is my great fear and I am in that age group. It really is an act of courage to take trips like this at our age. Glad you are on the mend.
T
Hanks for your narrative. Described my trip exactly
I did the same trip at age 80. Now 90 and would love to go again
Thanks for writing. Brought back good
Memories.m
I always enjoy your blog entries. No hype here, your reality is interesting enough. I imagine someone of your character found the injury/medivac/alternative and unexpected events, just as interesting as the safari itself. Thank you for sharing your life with us.
Thanks for sharing your story, Sara. Yes, getting older can have its (sometimes serious) challenges…
and gifts!
Aloha Sara,
Marcy and Bob Katz here… happy to read your latest missive. We were good friends of Neil Tepper and orgainzed his memorial service to which you came and that’s when we met you. Anyway, we just moved to Portland Oregon (yesterday) from Honolulu where we lived for 56 years.We moved here for better medical care!
Anyway, we LOVE Africa and have been a few times. From Safaris with our daughters Sara and Melissa in 1997, to Uganda for gorilla trekking to Namibia for Desert Ellies, to Cape Town, South Africa for ceramics and design in 2017. We are going back with Melissa and her 16 yr. Old daughter in July for Safari in South Africa. I am so glad you told us about EAP, and I will check into it for us. In 1997, our daughter Melissa was so very sick most of the trip and we thought it was Malaria. It turned out to be reaction to the malaria meds called Latium! We were flying via London, so on the way home to Hawaii, we plunked her down at the tropical disease hospital in London and they gave her excellent care and for absolutely no cost. For 3 days and nights. This time we fly non stop between SA and NY, so it is good to know about this service you had, just in case.
I’m so sorry your trip was cut short, but so glad you’re healing and you didn’t have a serious brain injury!
The insurance you got really paid off.
I read The December Project when it was first published. I loved it, not only for its openness, but for the memories it brought back from my brief studies with Reb Zalman. What a life force he was! He was one of the few who helped me break through my self-imposed skepticism. I only wish the Reb could make contact and tell us what’s out there. And I know he would report it so well!
Thank you for your posts! I always come away with something to apply to my daily life.
Be well and be safe.
Suzanne Tate
Wow, quite the story, of course compellingly written. Thank you for sharing it, Sara.
Expect the unexpected and go with the flow, is the best we can do, I suppose.
May you be very well now!
Happy Belated Birthday, Sara! I’ve followed you since “Loose Change,” when I used your characters for case studies in an adult development seminar I was taking at Yale in the late 70s. I’m staring down my own milestone birthday this week, but will only be venturing as far as the Napa Valley. Love hearing about your adventures and glad you’re healing!
Your adventures, and even more your adventurous spirit, inspire – and your colorful descriptions take me on half a Safari as well. Wow, even with some health challenges, you explore and enjoy the big vast world. Hope you are well and continue to heal up. Thank you for recording your sights, sounds and experiences. (PS – love your work on Dr Quinn)
I’m near retirement (at 60) and my travel bucket list has been filled for the most part but wow, I loved reading about your adventure, even the injury. I feel like I was right there with you, including your fall — I have had some falls myself, so I can relate.
I wasn’t feeling that great this morning but this perked me up.
Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
Debra
I laughed. I cried. The safari I always wanted for me … and you did it ! I am so pleased by your curiosity and your enthusiasm … I always was. And I want to know you are well.
Let’s get back in touch. I married David Richards (you met hm at Book Passage) and we live in Austin … mostly gleefully but not always. I miss my California.
I am going to LA next week to hang out with my kids in Manhattan Beach and Jo and Linda Blank. Wish you were there.
Call me, write me .. let’s have some fun.
Nancy
Nancy Novack
Hi Nancy. i just saw your comment on my jungle blog. I’m thrilled you have a gleeful marriage. I’ve never been to Austin but always wanted to go there. The music I’m sure is fantastic. I’ve pretty much healed up and wish I could go back to Africa, but I don’t think it’s wise at this age. You can reach me at sara@saradavidson.com Sending much love.
Wonderful entry. Loved hearing about your trip and ability to focus on the positive side of things. Everything’s an experience; even your time in the hospital. Every exit is also an entrance. Thank you, Bert
So….what else you been up to
Hi Sara,
I always enjoy your writing which carries me along like a surfboard. Although your trip was cut short it sounds very rich, and the expertise and kindness at the hospital are heartwarming to hear. And the birthday celebration when you expected notHing is the best. The image of the sated lions and particularly the baby warthog and slithering hyena will last awhile (and your description of the mother warthog is perfect). So sorry you took that fall–I fell recently in the same way and mercifully had no broken bones , but slamming down on your face is sudden and frightening. I’m glad you’re healing well!
Thanks for the book recommendations!
Warm wishes, Abby
Sara,
I enjoyed your share–in (large?) part because I went on (a) safari in 2011, right after my Kili climb with the Sierra Club.
I love receiving your blog / emails. I’m passing this one on to my 87 year old mother who has been diagnosed with vertigo since her first episode in December. She’s had 1 physical therapy session for it, and will have 2 more, and feels that her condition has improved due to the therapy.
I discovered you when I was selling books in my antique, clothing, craft, store, about 10 years ago, and your book, Loose Change, came in with a load of 3000 books, and I loved it! I sold the store building last year, and no longer have a store……it was in Bethlehem, NH, in the White Mountains, where I still live.
YOU are not the type of person who should be in Africa. I lived there for many years and we would groan when people arrived who knew nothing about the bush, or how to meld into the Animal Kingdom. It’s their territory. Warthogs are amazing creatures. Stay home.
Hi, Sara:
What a great story about your 1/2 Safari! It sounded like a wonderful and memorable experience. So sorry about the fall, though. I trust you are healed by now.
My birthday is just 11 days after yours! I was born in Maui, but grew up mostly in Oakland, right at the time you are talking about. I was in school in 1966….3rd grade….I was 9 yrs old, and remember it very well. The Panthers were just starting out. At that time, they were quite militant, and seemed to get more so, over the years. I do feel changes were absolutely needed, esp regarding civil rights and women’s rights. I loved 50s music, but not the idea of “roles” for women (housewife), and was happy for all the changes…..definitely, a necessity. It was a very important time. The 60s music was beyond compare; I loved it. Still do!
Anyway, just wanted to write a quick note. I always look forward to your emails! Take care of yourself, and keep your walking sticks close by!
Sincerely,
Joyce
You take me back to a wonderful trip I was awarded because of an essay I wrote about why I wanted to be part of an employee team from Hospice Care of Boulder-Broomfield Counties to our sister hospice, Bumbuli Hospice in Tanzania. I was the Palliative Care Team Social Worker and I had deeply felt reasons for wanting to be chosen. We flew to Arusha and went on two Safaris and had classroom trainings on African hospices at the hospital there in Arusha. Then we were driven four hours up the mountainside to Bumbuli Hospital and Hospice by one of the British Doctors. On the way we caught sight of magnificent Kilimanjaro for a few minutes before the clouds came back. We had a remarkable week with the Bumbuli Hospice team going into remote African villages to visit patients. For me it was a life altering and a very profound experience.
When we returned to Arusha we were debriefed and sent on a longer Safari down to the Ngorongoro Crater
where we saw animals of every kind you could hope to see. It was an amazing trip and I know how fortunate I was to have been chosen to go. Suzanne Peters Payne LCSW
it’s wonderful to “hear” your voice again in your words, Sara. Very happy you got your Safari, and some life memories to set alongside so many more. All love from your many friends in Honolulu…
Thanks, Michael. Great to hear from you. Are you still with the Forgiveness project?
Hi Sara,
We don’t know each other, but have had some mutual friends and acquaintances in Boulder.
Thanks for sharing your adventure. Also, thank you for sharing balance issues and finding courage to go anyway. Great photographs.
Happy birthday. A friend of mine has a birthday season. Does that mean three months. I’m not sure how long her’s lasts.
I’ll take a look at the books. Always appreciate recommendations. If you know someone with chronic unexplainable pain, I can recommend The Way Out by Alan Gordon. For a book about pain, it includes humor.
Happy sunny Sunday.
Jean
Yes, very much still in the Forgiveness Project here — we had a good annual festival this past year, and are planning the next one, expanded in scope… http://hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/festival22/index.html — I especially enjoyed Chuck Spezzano, Julian Lennon, Ramsay Taum, Yoshiko Tanaka. JoYi Rhyss, Diane Cirincione… mahalo, aloha, ohana — mahalohana —
Sara, What an adventure. Thanks for sharing. When talking about the accidental meeting with the concrete, you even sound upbeat. Thanks for that as well.
So wonderful to hear your voice on the page. ..the best kind of writing. I was there with you.
Miss seeing you on occasion.
We do share memories of other life time experiences, places and people….joys and sorrows.
Be nice to catch up, voice to voice some time.
Much love, Karen
What an adventure! Sorry it was disrupted by a mishap, but so happy to hear how well you were treated in the hospital! You’ve encouraged me to get the insurance you had since I’m heading over seas for an extended retirement present to myself! The critics daughter sounds great, going to pick that up as well!!
Thanks so much Sue
I love your books and have been a fan since Loose Change which rocked my world. I also grew up in the late 60s and early 70s and have tried to make difference in this world by promoting education to underprivileged women. I spent thirty three years in higher education. Please keep sharing your amazing adventures with us.
K
Absolutely brilliant photo of the lion’s face covered in blood.
Yes, it was even more startling to witness. At one point, his entire face was red with blood, and he stared right at me.
Sara, this is such a story.
I’m so sorry about the fall and your injuries, but can relate to the experience in the hospital. Alan had heart problems in Alaska last summer and we ended up in an Anchorage ER. It was quite the window into the people who live and work there (all went well and we did not have to stay overnight). I can also empathize with your fall as I have also had some struggles recently, most notably in Chile on a hiking trip. Falls are so unsettling and I’m glad you are home and recovering. Take care and thank you for sharing.
Ginger
Dear Sara,
I am so sorry to hear about your fall, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your trip with Michael Ellis (who I had known when I was teaching back in 1979 +). May you keep improving and get your body stronger. I do walk up and down the hills of Point Richmond even as my muscles get thinner. Oy! Thanks for your writing and including me again!
Please save my name and email.
Love, Linda
Linda, always great to hear from you. Sounds like you’re staying in shape. It gets tougher for me every year, but try we must.
Thank God you are ok now and you had that insurance, we never leave home with out our EAP card.
Sounds like a remarkable experience with both animal and humans.
Hello Sara,
I always look for and enjoy reading your e-mail blogs. This one in particular as I traveled with Michael Ellis to Tanzania ten years ago. Even then at 69 it was an arduous trip. Definitely not luxurious but adventurous as you described. Glad you were able to enjoy your half safari and have made a full recovery.
Bernice Zuckerman Greene
Sara,
Thank you for taking me to the Safari with you!
I know I was traveling by your words, but they made the journey for me and all your readers.
How exciting to plan, depart, and spend those days with you.
Then the accident, which sounds very painful physically, but became another set of experiences with relationships. How else do we truly heal?
I’ve been so grateful for your writing for years. The TV series, your books, and your blog. All!
I’m sending your link to fellow writers and friends.
You are such a gift!
Thank you Sara.
Let’s meet for lunch anytime!
Linda Farrell in Golden, Co
I never had an inclination to safari. Although I adored reading Tarzan, and watched the movies/show in my youth. All of a sudden, I want to go on safari! I love your descriptions and feel the need to appoint this first on my next bucket list! Thank you for re-igniting my passion for new adventure!
Hi Sara! I am glad that you got home safe and are healing. The safari sounds magical and it seems you were able to enjoy a good part of it.
It’s nice to read your blog again. It reminded me of when I was a volunteer in Tanzania, teaching and working with orphans. I went on safari at the end of my 6 week stay. I can appreciate all your descriptions of the animals and the delight in seeing them in their natural habitat.
Actually, I went to Africa to volunteer ( the first time) back in 2006 after I read Leap, had a nice exchange with you on email ( I was in the Narrows), and decided to do something really significant for my 50th b-day. So, you are somewhat responsible for my wonderful, life-altering journey to Africa! Thank you!
I hope you heal quickly and I know you’ll enjoy the memories of your special journey. I am sorry you got hurt, but I know you will heal and have more great adventures. You are still my favorite author.
Respect and Blessings,
Joey Bortnick
I really enjoyed your comments of the Africa trip. My husband and I took such an adventure in 1999 for our Anniversary. The best 3 weeks of our life! I found it to be life changing! We spent 4 nights in the Serengeti in a tent camp – absolutely marevelous. I too had to purchase a duffle bag on wheels, got inoculated for everything and took malaria pills. There were four of us and we stayed at Some great places along the way. Ol Malo, Giraffe Manor were just a couple. The water buffalo was the animal I was most afraid of. The giraffe was my favorite too. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I’m sorry your trip ended the way it did, however, you will always remember it. We still feel that trip was our best ever!
Dear Sara
A *happy* belated birthday. Oh dear, what an adventure. I
My previous comment got truncated. I was going to say, I live in South Africa and your planned safari holiday sounded so perfect and you had gone to such trouble to get everything ship shape before you left. What a dreadful shame you didn’t get to see out the rest of the activities, however you did end up having quite an adventure anyway! I hope you will heal swiftly and cherish the memories of this rather special gift to yourself. Life is full of surprises, that’s for sure.
What an amazing story. Hope you fully recover. And never leave your walking poles behind again.
Hi, Sara,
It’s your old Boulder friend, Anna! I really enjoy reading about your adventures. So sorry your Safari had to end the way it did. But you have a magical way of making everything – even unpleasant things – be experienced as new and delicious.
I’m sending you big hugs from San Diego!
So sorry to hear about your fall, Sara! But glad that you’re doing better and got such excellent care, and had at least a little time with the magnificent African wildlife. I’ve gone on two safaris, in Kenya and Tanzania, and am heading back for a third in June, this time in South Africa (led by author Martha Beck) and Botswana. Your story and pics are getting me more excited! Sorry we didn’t get to connect in Boulder, but hope to talk soon! Much love from Portland.
Your blog took me back to the sights, sounds and smells of the Serengeti. The pictures you shared are more than precious. You are so positive in your thinking and expressing the joy you experienced doing “half a Safari”.
Good morning Sara,
I always enjoy reading your blog, when get one.
I’m so sorry you hurt yourself on your trip and had to end it early.
You have such an amazing attitude about it all…it’s really nice that you, at least, got to see some very interesting animals and wild worlds before your accident.
I hope you heal completely really fast.
With love and frinedship,
Bruce
Sara
Thank you very much for this. I just turned 80 in January, we were prepared for all kinds of stuff, protests, enlightenment, sexual revolution, changing the world but getting old, not so much. I fell down on my own patio the other day, bruised my chin, broke my glasses but otherwise OK, a close call, a warning about paying attention. Please take care, use those walking sticks, I love getting your newsletter, you are really valued, maybe you can lead us into old age.
Lovely report and photos, Sara. Glad you’ve healed well.
Best,
Ren
You, like every writer, cannot know a reader’s moods and appetites. But today I was 100% interested in everything you wrote: your safari stories, your fall, the support you’d had the wisdom to purchase years ago — I plan to investigate whether my daughter’s peace of mind would be enhanced by me getting it too. The doctor on his knees. Plus you’re three for three with me on your book recommendations.
Unlikely, but here we both are: You get to be extraordinarily pleasing and I get to be extraordinarily pleased.
Interesting. The morning when this arrived, I was thinking to myself, hmm…, haven’t heard from Sara Davidson for a while—wonder what she’s up to. We’re (somehow!) connected! 🙂
I am so glad you came through this okay, and your (1/2) safari sounds amazing.
Trust you are healing well,
Marlowe
Dear Sara,
What a great trip — so sorry you could only participate for half of it! I hope you’ve fully recovered from your fall! Mine happened last year in March when I tripped over our cat “Rali” in the kitchen. Because Rali screamed so loud, I thought I’d broken his back. He ran away, but I lost my balance, fell backwards onto the hardwood floor in the kitchen and broke my right hip. As I was unable to move and in great pain, waiting for the ambulance to take me to the hospital, the injured people of Ukraine came to my mind – the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine had just begun. That, more than my own injury, made me sob. While I had the luxury of waiting for an ambulance, many people had died in Ukraine or were injured, with no help on the way.
The good news that I could tell my surgeon at my yearly checkup after the hip replacement surgery was that I felt no pain. Much of the credit goes to your daughter Rachel and her T’ai Chi Chih lessons which I had started attending in January of last year. For a few weeks after my surgery, Rachel adapted the TCC positions so that I could participate seated in a chair instead of standing.
I am thankful to both Rachel and you – you’ve both brought a new and welcome addition to my life.
Hi Sara,
I am sorry you didn’t get to finish the safari and that you ended up injuring yourself . I loved reading about the safari and how you prepared for the adventure. I am happy you were able to enjoy some of it. Did your friend Jane continue on or did she miss the rest of it as well? Thank you for sharing your travels. I always enjoy your blogs.
I use the Epley Maneuver for vertigo (hate it!!)
So glad you are OK!
Sorry that you had to cut short a most awesome trip. Nature is upright and not easy. As humans we try to mitigate nature. But nature will not be mitigated. It is and it will be. We are appalled when it enters our experience. The poorer your existence the closer to the rules of nature you are. So it seems to me. I can vouch for the poor part because that’s where I came from. From there I figured out that everything depended on what I was willing to do to remove myself from that environment. Doesn’t always make for a complete, compassionate, human being. When you had to, or at least felt like you had to, work your tail off to get traction it can make you less compassionate for someone you view who is not doing so.
It’s rather easy to talk about how we can make the world easier so that even the slowest fish will not be eaten. In reality, they will be whether they are aware of it or not. If your not in the eaten bucket then you view is way removed from reality.
So I’ve been accused of being a caveman, mostly by me. Sunlight is still hard on my eyes but maybe they will become accustom to the bright light of fairness and equity for everyone. At the moment I still squint a lot!
There is nothing more I admire than good storytellers. I’ve read the December Project. I have failed mightily, in my mind, more than I’ve enjoyed success. Most of my failures I’ve only realized with the perspective of age. Time has a way of leveling the grade. Seems the longer I live the less successful I become. What is the truth? Not sure about that and whether…Jack Nicholson is correct in a Few Good Men…”you can’t handle the truth”.
I’m not sure why I had such a fire to respond to your blog. I set on it for several days then this…nothing remotely connected to an appropriate response. But Sara…you’re a writer! Another sign I’m peering over the edge.
a
Hi Sara,
I’m so sorrrry to hear about your fall. I’m sure it had to be daunting to be air lifted to a foreign hospital. I’m glad your on the mend.
The safari sounds extraordinary – even half of it. Incredible memories. Including your b-day surprise.
Big Love,
Zoë
HI SARA,
Loved reading about your Safari adventure (something I’ve longed to do). So sorry your fall cut it short. If you’re not quite fully recovered now, I’m sure you will be soon.
Aloha,
Phyllis
(Join us again for a “Liberal Ladies” meeting when you’re back in Honolulu.)
Sara, very sorry to read of your fall and injury. With the orbital fractures, I sure hope you haven’t suffered from double vision, limitation of eye movement, or other eye complications. You’ve not needed surgery, I gather from your blog. Whew!
As for your loss of balance that preceded the injury, I’ve been experiencing a similar issue when I move my head in two directions at once, most commonly when bent over and straightening up. So I’ve had to practice slowing down and avoiding fast head movements.
In regard to your blog about The December Project and “I feared that death would be a complete annihilation,” I know that something survives the death of the body. This is thanks to my father, who appeared to me the morning after he died. I was walking to work, and for unknown reasons I looked over my shoulder into a beautiful blue sky. And there he was! It was just his face, large in the sky. And it was his expression that said very clearly but without words, “Not to worry. I’m fine.” It was such good news, for him and for all of us. By the way, this happened not under the influence of any substances, altered states, etc.. I was a man of science, an anesthesia doc, not subject to woo-woo matters. But I am now! And remain so grateful for his communication.
Bob in Denver
Delightful blog! Sorry to hear it ended so abruptly but it sounds like you made the most of a challenging situation. What a memorable way to launch your next decade of life! Reminded me of my own adventures in South Africa and Zimbabwe…xo
Hi Sara
I am sorry about your injury, but it is great that you experienced so much before coming to grief.
Hello Sara,
I don’t know if you remember me but we have spent some time together–once when I drove you for your book talk at Sage-ing Internal conference in Loveland and then in connection with the CU Intergenerational writing class you participated in for a few weeks. In any event, I love receiving your blog posts and especially this remarkable blog about your half-trip to Africa–Wow!. Richard, my partner and I along with our 19 year-old grandson are going on a safaria trip in June with the Road Scholar educational travel organization. We’re excited! I’d love to chat with you about your experience and our upcoming one if you are open to have coffee or just a phone chat sometime at your convenience. The phone number i have for you apparently is no longer in service. My number, if you are willing to give me a buzz is (303) 453-9143. Hope you are doing well these days Sara. Cordinally, Jack
You are such a talented writer, Sara. I was in the Serengeti and Masi Mara in 1988, but you brought all the memories back better than a picture. Keep up the fantastic work, and let me know if you ever return to Costa Rica.
Love you, Sara!
Hope you have a wonderful summer and thanks for sharing your adventures. Be well!
Bless, Joey
Love you, Sara!
Hope you have a wonderful summer and thanks for sharing your adventures. Be well!
Bless, Joey
Love you, Sara!
Hope you have a wonderful summer and thanks for sharing your adventures. Be well!
Bless, Joey
Hello Sara.
I am a mid-60s, convert to Judaism in Philadelphia and have continued learning, studying and practicing Judaism most of my life.
I knew Reb Zalman briefly back when he lived in the Germantown/Mount Airy section of Philadelphia and taught at Temple University. Like him, my primary influence in my earlier years was through Chabad. Although I try to restrict my learning to traditional Jewish sources, apart from that constraint, I leave nothing off the table.
I have kept my eye on Zalman over the years and am currently reading and enjoying very much The December Project.
I hear from your writing that he was a dear friend to you. Do you miss him? Do you feel the tug of his presence from time to time, like sunshine passing over the face on a cool morning?
One of the Chassidic/kabbalistic teachings relates that when we, who remain in this world, soul dressed in a body recall a close, departed friend, even picturing their face clearly in our mind’s eye, it increases life and vitality for the one remembered, causing an elevation for their soul.
Thank you for sharing your connection with him.
Only blessings…
Thanks for your lovely message. I miss him a great deal; knowing him and spending “Fridays with Reb Zalman” was one of the blessings of my life. I send you warm wishes, Sara
Sara! This is Sarah, from Stonington, CT.
We once had a laugh about the way we spell our name. Anyway, this email from you is still in my inbox and so I re-read it.
This time I have a new perspective on your stumbling, because I had that too, from low BP so we thought. But then I stumbled into a bookshelf and had a TBI and TIA.
After a TIA the docs look for Afib and although it was elusive (I wore a Hoiter heart monitor for 90 days and it didn’t show up), at a follow-up my pulse was unexpectedly discovered to be lower than my usual 60 – in fact, it was 40 and fluctuating ( called bounding) between 40 and 60. In the hospital, my pulse stayed at 59 and I was released, this time with a pulse monitor. The next morning I was called and told to get to the local ER asap, because during the night my pulse had dropped into the 30’s, skipping beats, and pausing. And I was transported by ambulance to Yale where I had emergency pacemaker surgery that day. Yes, age 77 was a year from hell, but now I’m 78 and entering my 5th month post surgery feeling wonderful! Hopefully my karmic dues are paid. No more dizziness, no more orthostatic hypotension, and twice the anount of energy I’d had for years. I’m slim, I exercise, I eat a plant diet, and I have low BP, so what could go wrong, right?! Afib was finally picked up by my pacer which also helps keep it from being a problem. And so, my friend Sara, I hope you are well and if you still are dizzy, please get fully evaluated. We’re worth it!
Namaste, Sarah
Hi Sara,
It was a pleasure to travel with you. I hope you keep adventuring around the world.
All the best
David Shoup