Bad Luck for me drew Kindness from Others
Earlier this year I hurt my back and then in May I slipped on a wet path in the garden and broke my wrist. I’ve managed to get about albeit slowly and I’m (fingers crossed) gradually improving.
There was just once a few months ago that I encountered someone less than pleasant. I was crossing the road at a zebra crossing (cross walk) when a lady coming the opposite way said “Quickly, quickly”. I said “Sorry I can’t, I’ve got a broken arm”. Afterwards I thought it wasn’t that lady’s concern in any case how quickly I walked. Still it wasn’t worth getting into an argument about. I’m not a spring chicken; I’m a pensioner and I would estimate the lady as roughly having been in the same age bracket as myself so she should have had more common sense than to urge me to rush. It was a damp day and I was wearing a jacket so my wrist support might have been hidden but she could see I was using a walking stick. The only other thing I can think of is that it might have been an attempt at a joke.
To be fair my difficulty in movement this year has revealed more of peoples’ decency than otherwise. There have been times when neighours (and even random folk) have seen me walking and stopped to offer me lifts. I don’t want to tempt Providence but if I’m not weight bearing (e.g. not carrying a shopping bag) I don’t really need a walking stick now. If carrying a shopping bag or pulling my shopping trolley I still use a walking stick though.
That brings me to another act of kindness. Last week I had some NHS appointments and am wondering if I left my walking stick at one of them as it has gone AWOL. I emailed one place and have heard nothing back either way.
I was learning British Sign Language pre-pandemic. The teacher who is a deaf lady herself has started giving lessons again where she lives (in a block of flats). To attend the most recent class as I was minus a walking stick I used a broom handle. This broom handle has never belonged to a broom — I tend to tie a duster to one end and use it to reach up into nooks and crannies that are too far for me to reach unaided when I do what I do that masquerades as dusting.
After the lesson I stayed behind for a chat (the lesson is held in the building’s lounge so people do congregate there). I explained that I had lost a walking stick and that was why I had the broom handle with me. One lady said if I would wait a moment she could get me a spare walking stick she owned as she was planning on taking it to the charity (i.e. thrift/goodwill) shop. Of course I accepted her generous offer with alacrity. She didn’t want any money for it either. While that lady went to get her superfluous stick a gentleman came into the lounge and said “I’ve got a spare stick upstairs if you need it”. I explained that someone had already offered me one but thanked him all the same.
So there are still nice people around.
I very likely looked like a walking Christmas tree on the way home with the broom handle and the walking stick and my (small amount) of shopping. However, at least one positive thing has come from my wrenching my back in that I appreciate folks’ unexpected acts of kindness.
