THE THINGS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED

 POST # 443

A daily routine that Mary and I do is to take Dora-dog out for her evening stroll around the neighbourhood.  It's a very pleasant way to spend time.  A week ago today, the snow was still coming down, and the roads were covered with about a foot of snow.  We decided to cancel our walk and stay home.

The snow eventually stopped falling, and by Monday evening, enough cars had been driving on the roads to produce some decent tracks to walk in.  We decided to give it a go.   

 The start of the journey is on flat terrain, but before we get to the end of Mary's street, it begins to go up a hill towards a vacant lot, which of course was covered in freshly fallen snow.  So far, so good.

The lot is at the apex of the hill, and as we traversed it, the altitude begins to decrease as we approach the next road.  We've done this walk pretty much every evening since my arrival, and with no problems at all.  Last Monday, was different.

I had Dora-dog on the leash, and Mary was following close behind us.  As we began our descent, I slipped on the snow, and I was down in an instant.  My left leg went straight out in front of me, however my right foot stayed anchored in position as I fell, which caused my right leg to bend out backwards, and to the side.  As soon as I hit the ground, I suspected that I had injured my leg. 

All I knew was that it hurt.  I managed to get up, and we slowly made our way back home.  Most of the pain was in my right ankle, and that was to be expected considering all of the titanium hardware that now resides in that location.  However, more concerning to me was that my knee was also in pain, and I have never had knee problems in my life.  

By morning, things hadn't improved at all, but on a positive note, my condition wasn't any worse.  Fortunately, nothing seemed to be broken, but I suspect that I had a rather serious sprain in both areas.  Thankfully, Mary had some crutches that I could borrow, and seeing as I am an old hand at using them, it felt almost natural to be hobbling around once again with their assistance.

As the week has progressed, I have been able to rely less and less on the crutches, and the pain has continued to subside.  So at least things are moving in the right direction, and I am thankful for that.

It's so easy to take things for granted in life.  Almost nine years have past since my fall down the mountain, and during the intervening time, I have become accustomed to going for a daily walk, without barely giving a thought to the fact that I have the ability to do this activity.  Last Monday was an opportunity to be reminded one more time, just how easy it is to take simple things like walking, for granted.    I'll try to appreciate my mobility even more now than I have in recent years.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer