Something Jen said...

My friend Jen asked me yesterday, as I was walking to the court, how I was. I answered, "miserable, frustrated and annoyed." Being on crutches, unable to drive has left me searching for rides like a teenager. I think about every trip up and down the stairs trying to maximize my efforts on each floor. I sit to cook asking the kids to bring me this and that. It's a pain in the ass.
But, her response has gotten me thinking. She answered that she could imagine how I felt being that she would be the worst disabled person. She cited how pissed off she gets if something is in her contacts and she can't see or if water gets in her ears and her hearing is muffled. I totally agree. How annoying when any of our abilities are even slightly compromised.
And then, I continued walking to the court where my neighbor Rene was washing his truck and his wife's car. And I thought, how dare I complain. You see, Rene has limited use of his right hand and his left arm was amputated from the elbow down. But there he was, smiling as always, washing away the dirt and grime as efficiently as any two-armed person. His gloved hand expertly sprayed the water while his hook guided the hose. Both limbs, prosthetic and real, scrubbing with the brush.
And earlier in the day I was speaking to my neighbor Debbie. I was asking how her daughter Dana was. You see, Dana was in an accident in May. She got out of her car to investigate the damage and was struck by a car and pinned under it. She broke lots of bones, suffered internal injuries, lost her teeth and has been in a rehab hospital since leaving shock trauma. But, she's doing great, learning to use crutches so she can some home next week.
And here I am, complaining that I have to be on crutches and can't drive. I'll most likely have a quick and easy outpatient operation, do a little physical therapy for a few weeks and be right back to my normal existence. I won't have to spend weeks in a burn unit floating between life and death like Rene. I won't have to relive the trauma of an accident in my dreams. I won't have to relearn to walk. I won't have to learn to use a prosthetic limb.
So thank you Jen for making me take a look at how good I really have it in this world. I can't imagine what Rene and Dana have been through nor do I really want to - it's too hard, but I can appreciate how far they've come, how far they have to go. And maybe I'll be a little less miserable, frustrated and annoyed from now on.