I tried to run after our longtime mailman Monday afternoon and was surprised to find my legs not quite moving as fast as I was telling them to–I nearly splatted forward on my face. Oh. So I called after the guy as he was walking away, he stopped, put my bill payment in his pack with a smile, sure, lady, no problem.
I went back inside marveling at the disconnect between brain and attempted movement–and marveling too at the fact that I simply hadn’t noticed that I wasn’t doing that anymore when I walk. For a month, I’d had to be mindful of my steps to make sure my legs kept up the pace or my expectations slowed down to match them. How soon we forget, the instant things seem to be normal again.
Today. Out of milk and orange juice, we decided we needed a quick trip to the nearby Costco.
To Mom and Richard’s surprise, I offered to tag along. And I went.
The Trader Joe’s store where I found myself abruptly giving out last week, where Sam made me go sit down fast, is a small store. Costco, on the other hand, is huge. We walked aisle after aisle–I hadn’t been able to go in nearly four months. It was like a novelty. An adventure. Plus I was having to look at the foods on display with new eyes: oh, that’s good stuff, oh wait, I can’t eat that. That? No. Not that. That. Another week left on the post-surgical modified diet; having had one blockage and NG tube, I’m being real careful to avoid a repeat.
I did it. I walked Costco. I did it!
Next time, by golly, I might even try to run down one back aisle when nobody’s looking.