My Cane and I

A long time ago wobbliness entered my life. I noticed I steadied myself with a hand on a wall or rail when I walked along. I noticed I always had to have a shopping cart to hold onto in any store. I noticed I wibble wobbled when I walked across parking lots. I noticed people sometimes looked at me funny, like I might have had one too many as I maneuvered myself into or out of stores, restaurants, houses, work, bathrooms.

I noticed I fell -- more than once.

The doctor told me to get a cane. Yeah, yeah, okay. 

But did I?

The doctor gave me a prescription to get a cane. Yeah, yeah, okay. 

But did I? 

Wobbliness became worse, I steadied myself more and more, but did I get a cane? Yeah, yeah, okay, someday.

I fell again. Hum, maybe I had better look into that cane idea.

I fell again. Okay, okay, I get it! I'll get a cane as soon as I can figure out the logistics -- you know -- how was I going to carry my purse, a lunch, an umbrella, and a cigarette while walking up the hill to work in the rain. The logistics stumped me. 

I fell again. 

Oh, the logistics that can be solved.

Hello cane, nice to meet you. 

You can tempt fate only so many times.

Sometimes don't you just want to laugh? Laugh at our foibles, our vanities, our stupidities, our stubbornness. Humans, now that's entertainment. 

We worry when we should be enjoying. We leave when we should be staying. We run when we should be walking. We walk when we should be running. We love when we shouldn't. We cry when we shouldn't. Sometimes we laugh when we shouldn't. And still somehow we manage to muddle through this thing called life. You just gotta laugh. 

Oh the messes I have made and the fates I have tempted, and yet, here I am, ready to live another day. Ready to face winter, work, friends, family, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, sons teasing, driving on the interstate, and a lively growing grandson. Ready to face all the uncertainties, risks, problems, failures, wobbliness, and all the other dangers inherent in aging, living, surviving. I'm believing I will see you all at Greenleaf in 2016. I believe in living for today and trusting tomorrow will be there. I got plans. And if it isn't, if this is the end of this journey, so be it, Life is a gift, not a given. 

And I have a cane to steady me on my way.

I survived this Thanksgiving dinner with only two burns and one cut finger. When life gives you bones, throw them in a pot and make something wonderful.