Being crippled with back pain this week has given me a much better appreciation of what people with severe mobility problems go through when trying to just live their lives. As I hobbled around leaning on a cane, I discovered, for example, that if I dropped the cane on the floor -- as happened in the grocery store while I was leaning on a cart for support -- I absolutely could not bend down to pick it up. If someone hadnt picked it up and handed it to me, Im not sure what I would have done. I also realized, when trying to get packages from the UPS Store, that I couldnt carry anything of any substantial weight, and I had only one good hand to work with anyway because the other hand was occupied with the cane. The degree to which people with mobility problems must rely on the consideration of strangers is also eye-opening. If not for others kindness, Im not sure what I would have done in certain situations -- to say nothing of trying to defend myself if I were to encounter someone who wanted my wallet, my car, my parcels, or my life. Ive spent years feeling relatively capable in that regard, and writing extensively on the subject. To have that taken away overnight, even temporarily, is very sobering.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 23:39:45 +0000
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