Cane Walkin'

For a little over a week now I have been using a cane to walk with.    It really ain't that I need to use it, but it sure makes walking around less difficult.       Maybe I am just preparing for the inevitable.

 In 1988 I shoved my leg bone through my hip bone causing the right hip bone to shatter.    I wrecked my car, and of course I was skunk drunk at the time.      I was woke up parked in a ditch in front of a beer store by a policeman.     I explained to him that I was on my way to treatment for Alcoholism.      I guess my story must have been convincing, because he left me there to sleep it off with a case of beer sitting in my front seat!! I tually was telling the truth as far as treatment went.

He told me that if I moved my car before the sun went up that he would lock me up.     I agreed that he should, and bid him a good night.     I watched as the tail lights of his car went out of sight.     Then I took back off in the direction of home.      I made it driving through the mountains just fine.    It was when I got to the straight part of the road that I decided to take a quick nap.     I am sure that the nap was real quick, because I totaled my car out on this fortified driveway!!      Later that night at the hospital they said that my level of alcohol in my blood was 3.8         Yeah........Do you reckon that I had a small problem with drinking?

Anyway.........Now I am reaping the benefits of being totally buck wild in my younger days.      My hip is covered up with arthritis, and so is my spine.     I have some more things going on with my spine, so walking with a cane takes the edge off of the pain.

There are other benefits that using a cane brings about....positive benefits.    It changes the way that a lot of people act toward me.       I live in a city where most people are scared to engage in conversation.        They rarely make eye contact, and seem to not see anything going on around themselves.

However, I have noticed that a lot more people speak to me now than ever before.     They actually are speaking whole sentences, and making eye contact.       I will have to be honest about this because I thought that most of the people would see my cane as a weapon.      I guess that see me as a harmless old man!!

I pretty much have adopted the city way of life.     At least as far as how you interact with other people.      I to am full of fear when I speak to someone, because you just never know what you are dealing with, and honestly it can go either direction.     Some folks just assume if they talk to you that you have something to give them.       Something has changed in the way that folks beg.      It used to be some change was all that they wanted, and now it is two, or three dollars.

Then there is another class of not knowing what your getting into by speaking.     There are simply said,.....Some fruitcakes loaded with extra nuts!!          You can not predict in what direction that these people will go.        There is one prediction that is safe to make; Whatever they are going to say,...... full use of their lung power will be in force.        They only have one volume, and that is wide open!!

I know that most of these folks can't control their actions, and they must live lonely lives.     Honestly, I have not figured a way to deal with them in a positive way.       Most of the time they cause such a ruckus, and do it so quickly that trying to be understanding is the last thing in my mind.    Usually I am looking for the quickest exit that I can find.      When I get at a safe distance from them I try to say a prayer for those who act in that sort of way.

I find that people on the city bus, and monorail system are a lot friendlier when a person is carrying a cane.       Maybe I should have made that point more personal, and said when I am carrying a cane. Usually the younger men will offer their seat to me.       I have not taken their offer so far, because I can still stand up.       Most of the time there is a seat available somewhere towards the back of the bus.

The older women do something that simply blows my mind, and fills my heart with joy!! Several of these women have made the same gesture toward me.     They pat the seat next to them with their hands in a gesture to coax me to sit with them.     At the same time speaking words of affirmation that make me feel that I belong in that seat, sitting right next to them!!

I can never pass that offer up!!      Mainly because I love women, and I love to talk with them, and for some reason those girls talk to me until I get off the bus.

Carrying a cane has been good for me in several different ways.   It helps me to walk better, but that is not the greatest effect that it has on me.       It brings me out of the state of solitude that I stay in most of the time.      I have been a loner for most of my life.      Plus I suffer from a lot of issues of trust.        It is like carrying that cane has forced me to come out of the bubble that I live inside of most of the time.      It causes me share a portion of my life with others, and they share a little of theirs with me.        I need this little piece of wood more than I would have ever imagined that I did!!

….................Much Love