My Left Foot

lucky to live here

Flâneries have been verboten of late, due to the rebellion of an ankle injury that went untreated around two decades ago. I stepped off a curb and my foot went sideways. The tendons locked, the bones jammed, and over time, scar tissue has formed and arthritis—sigh—developed. The joint finally seized on me last summer, shooting pain all over the place, so I’ve not been walking as much as I once did. I can do short stints, but I haven’t hiked home from work in months. It simply hurt too much.

My massage therapist suggested orthotics after a number of acupuncture treatments only accomplished so much. I was thinking about where to get them when I noticed a sign on the wellness clinic that recently opened ten minutes from home: “Custom Orthotics”. Below that: “Walk-ins Welcome”.

Good sign for a podiatrist’s office, eh?

So I walked in. Six hundred dollars, six weeks, and six visits later, I’ve got the orthos and am seeing Chiropractor #2 specifically to address the wrecked ankle while my frame adjusts to the new insoles. I can’t believe that I pay my pit crew to hurt me, but you gotta do what you gotta do. He’s managed to get the joint moving again, and after a few hours of it venting its post-treatment spleen, I am winning the battle.

I went for my first “real” flânerie last weekend. I walked all along the water and back through the cemetery, and for three-quarters of the way, I was pain-free.

I was also taking pictures. Technology has also interfered—my lovely little Canon was semi-retired when Mr. Moto came on scene. The phone has a camera, albeit not a very good one, and I had taken it on the final few strolls before my ankle crapped out last summer.

So, on deciding to test my endurance with the orthotics, I also decided to blow the dust off the Canon and leave the cell phone at home.

What a beautiful day! Bright sun, brisk wind, pounding surf, and glorious mountains on the horizon. I was more in awe of my home than I’ve been in months. Now I’m all pumped because Easter is coming and I plan to get up early on the long weekend to watch the sun come up over the water.

I also hope to walk partway home a couple of times a week, just to get back in shape. I hadn’t realized how much I’ve missed walking through the ’hood, camera in hand, looking at heritage houses and breathing fresh salt air. It’s good to be reminded that I live in a place where other people spend their vacations, that I am alive and healthy and mostly mobile (getting better all the time), in short, incredibly lucky this time around.