A personal note

In a game of basketball I managed to injure another player this week. It was, as such things often are, an unintentional consequence of two people attempting to contest the result of a sporting event through their physical efforts. As he went up to attempt a layup, I went up to attempt to block this shot attempt (something I often do, being as I am tall and most other players I encounter are not). His movements and attempts to protect the ball brought his head into alignment with my arm, and elbow in particular, as it came down and some manner of neck injury resulted.

Fortunately the gentlemen in question appears not to have suffered any major permanent effects or damage. I am awaiting further developments but so far this is pleasant news. Pain and suffering imposed upon others is generally to be avoided if it can be. I consider myself fortunate to have few injuries afflicted upon me by others, what injuries I have are old wounds and are generally non-physical if they come from others, and to have, so far as I am aware, inflicted few insults upon others. I prefer to keep it that way.

That being said, I have no cause to avoid the risk of such injuries by stomping out my own behaviors. If I had it to do over, I would still have attempted to block the shot, and he, from experience, likely would have continued to press the attack and have attempted to score. Accidents, be they happy or unhappy, have the quality of being accidental.