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| Peace and Serenity ~ County Cork in Ireland at Sunset |
Through my eyes.........
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes
We take so much for granted every day. An understatement, I know. In reality, everything that we come to believe is normal or standard in our lives can be totally changed......and, it only takes a few seconds!
For the fourth day now I sit here warming this particular cushion of our Family Room's leather couch feeling more exasperated and numb as the seconds tick away on the battery-operated wall clock that hangs high up on the wall. Tick..tick..tick... The seconds of my life categorized by a series of (truth be told) annoying second-spaced clicks that would normally go unnoticed. And they pretty much did the first few days of my confinement! By the third day, however, the mini-sounds were suggestions in the back of my mind; This morning....full blown rams of a pile-driver running on amphetamines!
It all began last Friday when my husband called from the road and invited me out for dinner and a pleasant evening walk in downtown Winter Park. This beautiful little town is a treasure, filled with European-styled outdoor cafés, one-of-a-kind shops and a flower-filled park that boasts a grand gazebo that hosts many 'soft jazz' concerts under the stars all year long. I was delighted to say yes.
"First, I have to stop at the main office and pick-up some papers and a check for the new 'fountain feature' at the St. Petersburg job," he said. Absolutely, not a problem for me because merely looking at this newly completed office building that resembles a mini-Taj Mahal with its light gray-toned layers of stone and marble gives me a thrill. And, usually, I remain in the car the duration of his visit just for this reason.
This time.....well, I went inside.
New buildings come with new landscaping and that means extra hours of irrigation to insure healthy growth and strong root systems....and, that's fine. Upon exiting the building, we see that the 'reclaimed' water is making its way across the marble entrance walk and stairs leading down to the sidewalk. Now, 'I in my sandals was all settled down for a warm winter's walk around the corner to downtown.' Well, unfortunately, that failed to transpire because within seconds my left foot was curled under me like a pretzel at the ballpark and my world became topsy turvy and surreal.
What a Wild Ride both physically and mentally and the now defunct Mr. Toad in Fantasyland at Disney World has nothing on me this go around. Carefully extracting my leg from beneath me, I looked at my husband's face only to see initial panic.....well, I suppose the two, gut-wrenching, primal screams emitted from a dark place deep inside of me had set-off various alarms! Then came wave upon wave of nausea and almost blacking-out which was the closest to experiencing shock that I ever need to be near. What a horrendous, helpless feeling! I recall panting heavily, taking in huge gulps of breath through my mouth and letting it out just as forcibly and thinking I'm either going to beat this next wave or give birth trying. Thank you Lamaze class.
After calming down a bit and calculating just how wet the back of my skirt was getting from the water that continued to drip down the marble steps (my new ground zero) like a small waterfall, Dan pulled the car around to the front of the building, more than ready to get me inside as fast yet comfortably as possible.
From the moment my right foot was descending the top of the stairs and my left foot was independently deciding to take flight, like a clumsy bird, out from under me, my brain registered a multitude of things. Among them: How will I land? How do I protect myself? How long will it take to arrive at the nearest Emergency Room if I hear a snapping sound? And, Note to Self: Ask Dan if the office has main entrance surveillance cameras....morbidly thinking that I'd like to see how this thing 'went down' and, I had yet to land safely on the ground!! Seriously, the mind is a wondrous thing! Later he told me they did not. Bummer!
Sitting there in pain with my leg elevated on Dan's knee seeking support and possible relief, a lady in her mid to upper sixties was walking by with her 'perfectly coifed' white poodle being led on a rhinestone studded black leash with matching collar. The lady, dressed quite smartly, also, totally in white, including her 'perfectly coifed' white hair, walked by us as she was gazing up at the facade of the "Taj Mahal" and soon they passed out-of-view. The sight of this matching 'couple' gliding by made us both forget our current predicament for one magical moment and we smiled for the first time.
I'm not going to lie....the ride home was excruciating! My highly sensitive ankle was privy to even the erratic and minute sensation of one of our tires passing over a loose stone in the road. But, we made it (after a quick stop at Panera for Take-Home) and I survived the twenty-minute drive.
Let the healing process begin!!
Sitting here with my ankle icing and elevated for most of the day, I can literally observe the various color changes my poor foot is going through.....in real time. Get-out-of-here! If I didn't have the flat screen to watch, my iPad for writing, a current book to read and, oh yes...the clock tick..tick..ticking away, my sanity would be compromised. (Someone out there will say it has been already.) I am understanding how familiarity with routine breeds clarity, healing and peace of mind. Something like a subconscious choreographed dance routine....it appears to be helping.
My husband has been a gem leaving me a thermos of coffee, the phone, ibuprofen and cold water, among other items deemed necessary to survive this incarceration period. Each day I praise the benefits of Biofreeze Roll-On. Angels of Mercy include my daughters calling from Michigan to check-in on my progress, my 'beautiful' friend and neighbor, Janice, for eliminating 'negative time' by conversing on the phone for several hours (laughing together for most of it) and, my amazing granddaughter, Lydia, for orchestrating Skype sessions with me before she goes to Kindergarten in the morning!! I am truly Blessed....
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This morning marks the beginning of Day Five. Independence Deprivation has set in. Walking with crutches is NOT considered a bonafide 'mode of transportation.' Spirit and swelling are slowly diminishing while 'color wheel' ankle thrives. Important Note to Self: Schedule a Deep Tissue body massage in near future. Everything sore...including (especially) arms, arm pits and right leg. All have been doing triple duty!
Yes, all of this is getting pretty old by now and, I can honestly say that you really don't know what you have until circumstances deem otherwise. Since I've been warming this particular cushion for so long now, there's been ample time to analyze each 'tick' of the wall clock above me and I ask myself to consider how many of them it takes to pass for me to heal? More importantly, how few of them it takes to change your life completely? Lesson learned: Make each one count.
Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the 'Taj Mahal' completed. It's only been several weeks since it has been and most of my visits, via across the street, have been nocturnal ones. I promise to work on this update.
