At the orthopedist’s office, I first met with an athletic trainer who was spending a few weeks there for the purpose of his continuing education. We discussed the issue I was having in both shoulders and reviewed prior bone and their accessories’ problems I’ve had in the past. As I reported the broken ankle that required three surgeries, the five cortisone shots in three different body parts and the waking up blind for good measure, the young man, probably not even 30 yet, said, “You must live a big life.” He was impressed, and although only one of these afflictions can be tied to an actual accident, the wear and tear of daily living counts. I have not run a marathon or climbed Everest but when I stop and really examine it, I have indeed logged many actual and proverbial miles. And I liked that this young man recognized it. X-rays were taken and my sixth steroid injection was administered. My life got a little bigger.
It’s difficult to assess the scope of our own lives when we are smack dab in the middle of it. Like our skeletons, it requires a deeper look by an outsider . . . and a $30 co-pay.
