These are real events that happened simply because I didn’t know better at the time. I want to share them now that I’m grown, starting from when I was very young. As a child, I had no experience with danger, no sense of caution, and I learned everything the hard way — through pain.
Childhood Accidents
The first story is something I don’t remember myself. My mom told me that when I was very little, living in Sakon Nakhon, I fell off a raised wooden house. I was born in Bangkok, but the adults took me to the countryside. I fell from the house and hit my head, leaving a scar near my eyebrow. That was my first accident — no experience, no awareness, just a tiny kid who didn’t know anything.
As I grew older and could remember things, I still didn’t understand danger. One time, when I was under ten years old, I climbed a guava tree and played with tiny guava fruits. I put the tiny fruits into my nose — I don’t remember how many, I only remember that my whole nose felt full. Luckily, I only put them in one side.
Suddenly I couldn’t breathe. I tried blowing my nose hard, like in those TV commercials where kids put things in their noses and get into trouble. I cried and was about to run to an adult, but luckily I blew hard enough and the guava popped out — along with blood. I survived that one.
Learning From Pain — The Hard Way
The Rolling Lemon
I was cutting a lemon one day. Lemons roll, and my knife skills weren’t good. The lemon rolled, the knife followed, and I sliced my own finger. From that day on, I learned: anything round that can roll — lemon, orange, apple — must be flattened first. I always press one side to make it stable before cutting. That lesson stayed with me forever.
The Glass-Washing Accident
Another time, I was washing glasses in a big metal basin during an event near my house. The street was closed, tents were set up, and I volunteered to wash dishes. I couldn’t see inside the basin, so I put many glasses in together. One glass broke, and when I reached in, the sharp edge cut my hand. That taught me: wash glasses one by one, where you can see them. Never pile them together in a basin.
These are the accidents I remember from Thailand.
Living in America — Being Extra Careful
After moving to America, you’re extremely careful. You think ahead, calculate risks, and avoid anything that could cause an accident. But sometimes, even when I am careful, things still happen.
Falling Down the Stairs
One morning, I carried a big blanket downstairs to wash it. My hands were full, and part of the blanket was dragging. I was just thinking that I should lift the edge so I wouldn’t step on it — but before the thought finished, I slipped and slid all the way down.
At that moment, my husband was downstairs washing the TV. He saw me appear on the floor like I was doing some kind of stunt. I laughed out loud because the fall was so fast and ridiculous. He looked at me and asked, “What are you doing there?” because he didn’t see the whole scene. I stood up, still laughing, and told him what happened. He nodded with a big smile — of course he could smile, because I was safe and standing in front of him telling the story myself.
The Rotten Tree Stump
Another time, when I was still cleaning Airbnb units, I parked a little far from the building. On the way back to my car, I stepped on a tree stump, thinking it was solid. But the wood was rotten.
My leg sank all the way down to my knee.
For a moment I thought a root might stab my leg, but thankfully there were none. When I pulled my leg out, it was purple from the pressure and the shock, but completely clean — the dirt was dry, so nothing stuck to my skin.
That accident wasn’t from carelessness — it was simply something I couldn’t have known.
Accidents Happen Everywhere
It reminded me of a news story in Thailand:
Someone was walking on a road divider at night and fell into an uncovered utility hole.
It was extremely dangerous — electrical cables, drainage pipes, anything could be down there. The person was injured but survived.
And the saddest story I ever heard: At a construction site, a child fell into a concrete pillar mold. No one noticed because construction sites are loud. The workers poured cement in, not knowing someone was inside. A true tragedy.
If you have similar experiences or lessons learned the hard way, feel free to share them in the comments. Wishing everyone safety and happiness.
