I WONDER WHY

There's something that puzzles me. I guess I notice this because I'm kind of in the same fix.

I see a lot of folks that obviously have trouble getting around but don't use anything to help. I.E. a cane. Lord knows they aren't expensive. In my case, I sort of inherited it. Of all the things that dad left behind I don't think it crossed his mind I'd end uup toting his "third leg" around.

Are those folks shuffling down the sidewalk afaid using a cane will make them look old or something. Are they afraid they'll look silly? Believe me, I'll take silly.

I've had some problems for years. I didn't get mom's bust line, I got dad's knees. It didn't help when I was bringing in a load of laundry from the drier, dropped a hanger, stepped on the hanger and went down like a ton of bricks. I'm about a hundred pounds lighter than I was then (this was about three years ago) and getting around better. But, that cane goes to work with me every day. I don't need it 98 percent of the time, but oh that 2 percent. Parking is at a premium at the dealership and when you come right down to it the employee lot is about three blocks from my desk.

I've taken to parking on the farside of the lot and taking the long way into the building in the mornings. I can get in about a quarter of a mile that way. I've been trying to total at least a mile during the day. More if I can, I tend to seize up by the end of the week but it's getting better.

We have a great set of bike paths in this area and there's a stretch near where I live that I can get a mile circuit in. It's paved and I'm thankful for that. That's for weekends. Actually it's next to the river, so it's shady, there's birds and lots of other critters-two legged and four legged.

If using that cane means I can get my mile or so in on the weekends I'll swing it along with the best of them and thank dad for his great investment anyday.