Just have to vent this...
Sometimes it takes a good fall to know where you stand. A perfect quote!
On May 2, 2017, while at rehearsal on the risers in our local theatre with our Knight Owl choir, I fell off the 2nd to top riser...
Husband Pieter who was in the theatre, did videotape my tumble down! It scared him tremendously.
Now to explain, we were on very narrow risers, not meant for doing the choreography we had to do!
There was absolutely no guard rail - nothing.
Some 20 years earlier, those got purchased for having little girls stand on them and sing.
These risers are 36" (91 cm) and have guard rails!
The ones we had to do our choreography on, were ONLY 24" (61 cm) and NO GUARD RAILS
Our choreographer Lisa, in a video, teaching us the steps... which we learned and I flipped off right away, since there was NO WAY to make her size of steps on such a limited space!
The front row singers had the floor... no problem.
There never was a linear line up.
Taller singers were right in front of you, which made seeing Kelly very difficult.
When I fell down, Suella, a tall front row singer, blurted out: 'Let her get up on her own!'
How nice...
When I was trained, paid and responsible for any first aid incidents at the practical training college in The Netherlands, I dealt with all the legal issues, such as calling the police, ambulance and above all - calming the person down!
But I toughed it out and performed, even with my severely bruised wrist/thumb and foot.
Ending on crutches afterward...
Not being able to do some much needed weeding in our garden and not even able for guiding tours on May 20, when we did have people come for a Garden Tour, a fund raiser for Carol, one of my Knight Owl Choir members, for her Garden Club.
In 2018, after another fall (at home) I ended up on crutches for 3 months, due to a double, but closed pelvic bone fracture.
BUT after having been granted a 'safer' status afterwards, on March 27 of 2019, I got again ordered to stand on the top riser.
NO WAY!!! Was my very firm reaction!
HISTOPATHOLOGIC FEATURES INDICATIVE OF PERSISTENT (MICRO) TRAUMA.
PAS REACTION AND GMS STAINS FAIL TO DEMONSTRATE FUNGAL ELEMENTS.
A FONTANA-MASSON STAIN FAILS TO DEMONSTRATE MELANINE PIGMENT SEE COMMENT
Kelly, on May 2nd 2017, I tumbled down the top riser and though nothing broken, I still suffer from persistent (micro) trauma. It will take another year I got told by Dr. Tammy Gephart in Marietta on Wednesday last week, before it is all gone! Cannot polish my nails, nothing... And last year on March 27, when I had those killer cramps and jumped out of bed, falling on my left hip, which caused the double closed pelvic bone fracture makes me vulnerable. Lowering that risk is a MUST!
This was on Dec. 3, it is better now but still takes ONE YEAR according to Dr. Gephart.
Embarrassing but this is one of my 'secrets'... Haha! But please don't put me on the top riser — I'M SCARED!
Letter from Dr. Gephart where she explained:
After careful review of Pathology results it is determined that patients toenails is and was damaged due to her falling off the bleachers (risers) on May 2, 2017. Pathological results do indicate trauma to the nail plates bilateral. If there are any questions or concerns about the information provided above please feel free to contact our offices and select option 3.
Tammy Gephart DPM
For years I've traveled the 250 km (155 miles) one-way to see Dr. Gephart!
On May 19, 2019 this is what I put on the choir's GroupMe
Sad about not having this greatest show on YouTube, like in 2017
That was a great day yesterday with lots of energy! Jennifer, you did bring me back to my younger years when I was in Fashion School as your dress so much looked like the Pop Art Fashion of the 60s that we had to design! Your writing here is also excellent - nothing what I can add to that. Only sad that our daughters, Goddaughters, family and friends can NOT see any of the 'American system' DVD. We were lucky in 2017 with the YouTube version that could be shared over all continents... And it looks that since my fall in 2017, I'm still kind of 'trailing' on the program as my name was not correct (Mariete) and for some reason out of the alphabetical listing.
Kelly tried to silence me and not in a nice way.
She managed to get rid of me by exclusion bullying.
Two days after the Revue, Pieter and I flew to the Netherlands, for visiting Dad one final time...
On the day of his cremation, Pieter found Kelly's message on the iPad, that she had removed me and that I was not welcome back in August!
Still I did go to their 1st rehearsal, to confront her in person and also to thank the choir members for all the love received during Dad's passing (got ONE sympathy card!)...
I asked Kelly what she'd written in the GroupMe to all other choir members, about me, after first removing me.
No reply of course she was too cowardly!
Actions speak louder than words...
Witnesses may be drawn in as 'secondary abusers'.
Got it all taped (carried Pieter's iPhone for that purpose inside my mesh Vogue backpack).
When I got back from confronting Kelly...
Got enough material for a lawyer, including her copyright infringements (that's how the lady providing her with such, got her spot on the floor in the 1st row).
But her FINAL JUDGE will be taking care of all this...
Now at least you know why I'm no longer singing.
After a 22 year career for Kelly with her four different age groups, Covid took care of it all...
We practiced inside the First Baptist choir room, except for final rehearsal a the theatre.
Each of us paid her a one time fee (for the music sheets) of $ 25.00 and ten times $ 25.00 per month.
We also had to dress in a certain way, so there was more involved.
For performance at the University of Georgia for singing the National Anthem, we had to drive a good 3 hours one way. Another Fair we had to drive to in about 2 hours, one way.
We did it all with pleasure.
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