I like to bake, but frankly, Trader Joe’s makes a better pecan pie than I do. A quick trip to the store…
I like to grin and tell my friends that I’m going to be a terror to my kids when I’m 90.
My kids tell me I don’t have to wait that long.
But it was a complete innocent today who was horrified.  Some large and tall hunter-gatherer, oblivious as he focused on his prey, collided with me on his way by. I don’t weigh much. He never noticed.
My sense of balance is visual and tactile only, and if you throw one of those off, you get to see me do my rendition of Olympic figure skating.
Kinda like the time I fell down the carpeted steps at my aunt-in-law’s house during her daughter’s wedding reception. There was a young couple coming up behind me, gasping in horror. I managed to stop finally about 2/3 of the way down while thinking, great, I hope nobody saw THAT little act of gracefulness, turned back, saw them, and got this big cheesy grin on my face as I threw my hands up from where I sat and proclaimed, TaaDAAAH!
They cracked up, mostly out of relief. Phew!
So this guy goes past me and it all went past him. But a woman standing on the other side thought somehow she’d done that to me, and was not reassured by my attempt to brush her fears off. It bothered her enough that she got behind us in the check-out line so that she could apologize again.
I’d had no idea, or I’d have been more particular in what I’d said–to me, going flying occasionally is simply how things are, and I do use that cane. I guess sometimes a person needs to be told more of the story. Not just, no, you didn’t do that, not even just no, that other guy bumped into me, but also that, really, the only person who needs to apologize is the guy who creamed my car nine years ago.
But it was the strength and warmth of the smile on my face towards her as I said that, not so much the words, that finally made her feel better about the whole thing.
It’s okay. This is my normal now. Burns extra calories. Keeps me thin. (Hey, look–it works!)
…I solemnly promise my family not to fall down those stairs again come Thursday. Here, you hold the pie.