Walking

I can't remember if I mentioned this, but about six weeks ago I sprained my ankle. Badly. Not for the first time. And probably not for the last time.

It's healing, but everytime it starts to feel almost normal, I do something to it again. I don't know what. How could I possibly know what I did? I was just walking down the stairs slowly and innocently and suddenly there were shooting pains lancing up my leg. "So," I think to myself (this is a common occurence as no one else actually listens to me), "so much for resuming the daily walks".

But a funny thing happened. The weather got nice and I was compelled by the Force to put on my walking shoes and hit the pavement. Which I did. Only to immediately encounter the carcass of an oppossum who clearly wasn't "playing" dead. Ah, Spring in the psuedo-country. I crossed the street and passed as far from it as I could.

The walking seems to be helping my ankle function more readily, if not heal more readily. I got a good look at it in a dressing room mirror today. I had to look at it because the other option was to look at the rest of me and I don't make eye-contact with the rest of me. It's a horror story of bad food choices and a long winter. It would give small children nightmares. It gives me nightmares.

Regardless of my sleepless nights, I could see two areas where the ankle is still clearly bruised, and slightly swollen. This visual evidence surprised me. I don't know why it should. I guess it just never occurred to me to look at it in a mirror.

Alas the fine weather calls, and I'm not going soft on it anymore. I may, however, take a softer approach to sunscreen. My workout shirts and hat all have built in sun protection. But being fair and prone to burn, I have been proactive about generously applying sunscreen to my face, hands and forearms before venturing forth. Today, this small act of self-preservation attracted every mayfly within a 25 mile radius. They especially liked my ears. The part with the hole that goes into my head.

Tomorrow, it's going to be a little cooler in the morning. If I go walking a little earlier, and bypass the sunscreen, maybe the flies will pick on someone else.

Or find an opposum playing dead.