But that is what happened to me last week when, during an otherwise painless house move, I dropped the corner of a PC base unit on my hand.
The resulting hole didn't actually hurt much, but it looked quite dramatic, and all the workmen and removal guys who clustered around agreed I should get it checked out at the A&E.
It took a neighbour and former NHS employee to point out that it was probably more practical and certainly quicker to go to a nearby minor injuries unit instead. Of course. I'd just spent the previous few days working on a story to help discourage needless journeys to A&E and yet - there I was - about to attend a major trauma unit when all I needed was a couple of steri-strips. So I had not only damaged my hand, my computer and my ego, but I had also ignored my own key messages.
Since we all learn from our mistakes, however, once my hand was mended and the PC was working again, I pondered that there were four conclusions to be drawn.
First, I had witnessed a perfect demonstration that frontline staff will always be the most effective advocates of the rationale behind certain services - even when the PR people themselves are standing next to them.
Second, I decided NHS signage should be overhauled and improved, having spent most of the short car journey driven by my very understanding spouse following signs that said 'Not an A&E unit', 'No A&E here' and 'This hospital does not include A&E services'.
Surely we should have been directed towards what we wanted - as in 'Minor injuries unit this way' - and not towards something we didn't want?
Third, the incident had underlined a very simple management principle - that you shouldn't pay someone to do something for you, which they are better qualified to do, and then do it yourself.
Finally, I learned that PC base units are remarkably resilient, but that they can also have very sharp corners.
- Luke Blair is a director at London Communications Agency.
