Something struck me as being quite funny this morning!
Afterall, how many people stop you on your way into work to say "Gee, you're sure walking like a pro today!" to which you reply "Thanks! It's all in the knee!"
Yep, I get praise where others get ignored. Life is good. Someone even asked me recently if I still dress myself and seemed highly impressed when I said yes. I laughed and said "Well, I have been practicing for a few years now!"
Not that I mind the questions or comments, far from it! I'm proud of the progress I'm making and in all honesty, there are times when I wish people understood more about how much concentration it took to kick that soccer ball or run up those stairs. In those moments the crowd in my head goes wild -- I love those guys, very supportive.
The comments are also a great way to gage whether or not I need to get an adjustment to my prosthetic. I'm usually so busy trying to ignore my inner-monologue that I miss the fact that I'm limping.
Truth be told, it wasn't long ago (earlier this year) when walking, showering, kicking a ball, or getting a glass of juice from the kitchen to the table without spilling a drop was very difficult, but it's come down to re-learning the basics, breaking down the complex tasks and practicing those fundamentals.
I can tell I'm doing well because at this stage in my recovery, no one even knows that I have a prosthetic and most people are shocked when they find out. That's a good feeling! It means I'm walking like a champ again.
I even jogged a bit playing Cricket last week. It wasn't pretty, but it was definitely a jog! I was quite proud and the guys in my head, they wouldn't shut up about it!
Yes, I'm well on my way to achieving that magic "10,000 hours to mastery" mark.
So, get out there and strut your stuff you show-offs who can walk perfectly without thinking about it! I won't be far behind you: only 8,620 hours to go!
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all in the knee.....I know the feel of the perfect walk but have yet to experience the kind words. Thanks for the inspiration Mike.
ReplyDeleteMike, it is great when we see or hear the surprise when someone finds out we wear a prosthetic. I saw a new prosthetist today for an evaluation of my fit and he suggested always keeping a journal as it is hard to remember exactly where we were months ago and how much improvement we have made. Good idea, huh? I was doing that on a regular basis for awhile those first few months but not as often anymore.
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