Things People Said (This Week)

He's probably used to it by now.

A teacher. Referring to Theo's skipping out on lemonade that the rest of the class was having. "Yes, but that doesn't mean he's happy about it," I said. She backtracked. She brought him diet coke. He was happy. People say the darnedest things about diabetes, and they're lucky I don't hit them.

I'd walk three houses away, then walk back.

This woman had suffered severe complications after the birth of her child. After coming home from the hospital, she couldn't walk alone, and getting from the bed to the bathroom required help she referred to as "dragging." One day she decided she needed to move. She managed to walk to a house three away, then back. After some time, more houses. She was seeing me to learn how to begin weight training. More recently she joined an Indian dance troupe that performs locally.

But what do you wear to dance?

There's a guy in the gym who keeps tabs on my shoes. I show up in a new pair, part of my quest to solve any problem that befells me, and he notices. I explained that I only wear athletic shoes, and so my owning three pairs is not unheard of. He paused. And then he asked, "But what do you wear to dance?" I paused. His point is a good one: I should be dancing.

Comments

  1. Great post! The walking three houses away, then back really resonates. My father's been very, very ill, and the little successes walking have been enormous for him. At first it was to the door. Then to the mail box, past the first house ... and now he's up to the pond and back, a 1/2 mile each way. He measures it though, in house lengths, walking one or two houses before resting on his cane.

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  2. It's such a poignant measure of success. We need markers in our lives. We need a home. I wish him well.

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  3. So THAT's what that old lady down the street is up to.

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    Replies
    1. Track her progress...how many houses is she up to?

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  4. i like your response to the teacher.

    i usually attribute comments like that to people just needing to fill the silence. but that happens much later, as i'm reflecting on the exchange. in the moment, it bugs the crap out of me, and i struggle with an appropriate response that doesn't show my annoyance.

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    Replies
    1. I take it person by person. This particular teacher has not showed a sufficient amount of understanding, in my book, so unfortunately I filter all subsequent comments accordingly.

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