I drove around the St. Boniface Catholic Church parking lot a couple of days ago. Very big day for me and Tom.
Tom drove me over. I hobbled around to the driver’s side of the car. Pushed my seat back as far as possible so I could undo the 4 velcros on my Darth Vader boot and wrestled it off. Wiggle-wedged my still swollen foot into an old comfy leather mule…checked my seat belt…adjusted the mirror…smiled at Tom and put my foot on the accelerator of our humble ’94 Geo Prism.
Whooopeee! Like being 15 again and getting my driving permit.
I practiced a little. Accelerating and slowing. Did a few doughnuts. Reminded Tom that this parking lot is exactly 1/3 of a mile around it…I know that because I used to walk it for exercise. He was more impressed that I was driving than the fact that I used to walk.
Both things impress the crap out of me.
Mostly, I was checking out my tolerance for pain in a bootless foot. There was just a twinge, but nothing that will keep me from DRIVING.
I can DRIVE now. What a gift.
Not sure yet where I can go without my chaperone helping me here and there and carrying my purse…
I guess I could go to Super Walmart, but it would be park, take crutches to the motorized cart, figure out how to detach it from the wall, arrange my crutches across my lap and my purse between my feet…then roll around the store trying not to hit or be hit by anyone (especially in the produce department – that’s where all the psycho crazies hang out). Find my little items. Can’t carry a gallon of milk with crutches or buy anything frozen; it would be thawed by the time I got home. Pretty tough to see into those open fridge and freezer cases anyway…you know, like the ones that hold the eggs. Roll through the check out. Pay my bill and then try to figure out how to get my stuff from the cart to the car without falling down on overbalanced crutches. Seeing as how you have to leave the cart by the red pillars on the sidewalk. They won’t let you motor through the parking lot on those things. Maybe I should ask a fresh-faced stock boy to help me.
Just writing all this makes me tired.
Do we take a lot for granted?
I have a friend who has been diagnosed with ataxia. Ataxia is a neurological issue that causes the loss of coordination. My friend has lost some of her ability to walk and talk. She hasn’t driven for awhile. Her speech is slurred. Even typing a few words requires a Herculean effort. She writes me to thank me for expressing the frustration of having such obstacles to overcome just to do the simple things.
She’s so young. Just my age. My heart goes out to her even more since my surgery.
Don’t we take too much for granted?
*****
“To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.” — Lao Tzu
August 22, 2009 at 9:26 am
I believe that we do tend to take things for granted. We should be thankful for many of the things that appear trivial, until we lose them.
August 22, 2009 at 10:50 am
I haven’t got much going on in terms of a great comment, but I wanted to tell you I’m enjoying your prolific writing spell here.
Go girl go!
August 22, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Wahoo you can drive again!!! Of course some of the thunder is removed with the realization that once in the car what is it you can do? But in time…. there is that precious time thing again.
Now you could always go through a drive thru and get some yummy, fat laden, starchy french fries, but then that really isn’t a grand idea.
Keep on keeping on
August 24, 2009 at 12:05 am
Noo, no, not starchy french fries. This is a milestone worth celebrating and it’s still summertime! Go for the McFlurry! Surely this has got to be worth one teensy weensy little McFlurry (or blizzard, or whatever your frozen treat of choice is)! (Ok, yes I admit it. I’m probably not the friend you want around providing encouragement when you’re trying to LOSE weight but hey, if you’re ever looking for excuses…)
August 25, 2009 at 9:16 pm
You were blogging so regularly for a few days there and then *POOF*. Did you decide to seize the moment and take this new found driving freedom and are joyriding about all the nooks and crannies of unexplored roads, inlets, and outlets in the area that you can see and explore by car noting which ones to check out on foot at some point? Did you end up going for the fries AND the McFlurry and are too guilt-ridden by overindulgence yet to write about it? We can forgive you Cherie! Really! We can! Come ba-a-a-a-ack!
August 25, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Nope, Lisa, Kitty and I have been laying pretty low. Still doing the physical therapy thing…staying away from McFlurries AND Mac&Don’s FFs…though I did get my butt kicked by a bag of Baked BBQ chips a couple of nights ago.