On Thursday I crutched into the Safeway, and inquired at the service counter about using one of those scooter thingies. THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING, I mumble. My shredded left ACL replies, "Suck it up, Ms. Smug." My children would be howling.
It's amazing how much you CANNOT reach on one of those things. I'd guess you can't reach 70% of what you're after. I was glad I could at least stand up. Forget about opening a freezer door for a frozen pizza. Can't do it. Or at least, I couldn't.
I worry about my SQ - my smugness quotient. As I maneuver through the produce section, I think, "I bet I'm the first person under 400 pounds to ride this thing." Hiding behind the watermelons, I flinch a bit as I wait for the next smugness-smashing event.
Hi Terri -- I know how it feels to have to ride those carts. When I was 41 I was in a car accident that tore up my left knee pretty good. The doctors never did me much good -- "you have a torn miniscus, you could exercise it, exercise won't help, ice might help or it might not, blah, blah, blah." And the ortho guy got paid $400.00 for 10 minutes of his lack of advice or interest.
ReplyDeleteNow, at 51, I still occasionally need to use those scooter carts. Granted, I am not thin, but I am not 400 pounds either. I don't care too much for the looks I get from other shoppers when I need to use a scooter; they don't seem to "get" that people have physical limitations caused by injuries. At first, I was embarrassed about it. Now when the weather or a wrong-way-twist wrecks my knee for a few days, I ride those scooters with sheer gratitude that they exist! Anyone who does not like it can kiss my knee -- more than once! :)