At some point in your life, perhaps after you turn 65, you have to stop doing activities that can really hurt you if you fall. I include climbing ladders, running for a bus or cab on the street, running down subway stairs to catch a train before the doors close, walking down stairs with your arms full and you can’t see your feet, walking around your apartment when it’s so dark that you can’t see anything in front of you. These are only a few.

A friend told me recently that she ran for the 96th Street crosstown bus, missed seeing the nasty change in sidewalk elevation and landed on the sidewalk. Luckily, the Bone God was with her and she broke none. She just emerged bruised on her extremities and slightly embarrassed when people nearby helped her up.

Another friend told me she recently climbed a ladder. Mercifully, nothing happened but it easily could have. The consequences could have been a broken hip.

I’ll make 2 trips to bring laundry down basement stairs, rather than 1, if the load is so big I can’t see the stairs. I also wear an Apple watch, which has fall detection, which is an amazing feature.

It’s hard to admit we’re getting older. However, at some point, you have to do a quick calculation in your head of the “risk and reward” of doing some activity that a small voice in your head says may not be a great idea.

That voice of reason is probably spot on.