I am starting to have more good days than bad now, which is fantastic!
I live close to a busy road. I hate this road with a passion. When I bought my house I did not notice the road, or either it did not bother me at the time. It is the traffic that I can’t stand; especially the young gentlemen who find it necessary to trick out their 1990 Mustangs by removing the muffler. On my walks I will avoid this road by walking the back roads even if it takes twice the amount of time. Since I am not feeling too great I am forced to walk the shortest distance to get to where I want to go, which means taking the "no mufflers necessary highway”.
One day I had to pick my daughter up from school; I noticed a elderly woman sitting in a wheelchair on the side of the road. She was under a small tree that barely covered her and it was a rather warm day. I kept walking assuming she was waiting for a ride, but I was irritated at the same time that someone would make her wait on the side of the road I despised so much. When I came back with my daughter in tow she was still there! I was even more distraught on her behalf.
A few days later I ventured out with again to pick up Holly from school. The weather was colder and I was wearing a coat. I looked for the woman in the wheelchair and she was there, she had a blanket on her lap and she is watching the traffic speed by. She didn’t look unhappy but she didn’t look pleased either. She was not there when I passed by on my way home.
I very rarely drive because David is home more, and I like to be chauffeured (some things never change.) I notice the wheelchair lady day after day. It kind of is a game in my head, will she be there or will she not. More often than not she is there. I can’t wrap my brain around why she would sit out there so close to this road and just watch the traffic go by.
I start to wonder is there something that I am misunderstanding about this road or town. Now I want to talk to her and bring her cookies and tea and learn all of her wise secrets. I start to imagine myself bringing my own chair over and seeing the world through her eyes.
I don’t know if she is crazy, but that wouldn’t bother me anyway. I wouldn’t care if she was sick, because so am I. In fact I would admire that, because during my worse months this year I locked myself in my house, and refused to come outside. If I found out that her family just wheels her out there just to get her out of their hair, and she has no say in the matter. I would sit with her and share conversations.
In the end I have come to some conclusions:
Maybe she is waiting for somebody.
Maybe she just wants to be left alone for some peace and quiet.
Maybe she is too sick to even notice that I was there if I approached her.
Maybe I should learn to tolerate a busy road.
That all being said I am going to start to walk on her side of the road to say “hello” because you never know what can happen!
2 comments:
when my mother was elderly and in a wheel chair she sat by the window a lot. i live in new york and she would watch the cars and birds and people go by. she said it was a passtime that she enjoyed. my mom also suffered from manic depression. on days when she didn't go out i was much happier with her by the window instead of in bed.
Welcome back Amy! Glad to hear you are on the road ("the highway"....) to feeling better.
I'm sure the neighbor in the wheelchair would love the pleasant company!
Judi
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