Temporarily Crippled 2
Anyway, this past 2 weeks have been very interesting. My body is stiff from working the crutches. It ain’t as easy as it looks, people. Those people that make it look easy, they’re all PROs, let me tell you. Most of the people I know and bumped into in my crutches, (mainly the guys) said, “It’s good! You will be building up a lot of upper body muscle with the crutches.”
-_- … Yeah, OK.
It may not be the triathlon-y kinda challenging, but I must say, it is challenging all the same. Mother feels I should stay home all the time, because of my condition. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, Mother feels that I should stay home ALL the time. Regardless of my physical condition. Boggles my mind. Anyway, I went out a few times in my crutches. The dudes at the eating/coffee places I normally frequent all had this “Eh?! What happened la…. alamak… Kesiannya..” expression the moment I step into the establishment while I sheepishly nod back at them, NOT telling them the story- because nothing cooo~ell caused this! *hmph*
I swear, it is a mission to walk around with crutches. I use two; one on each side, because I tried using only one and that felt stupid and takes much more effort. It took me a while to adjust the height to be resting just nice. Initially it was too high, it bruised my pits after one night of using it. Then it was set too low that my back was hurting from bending over too much. Finally got it right eventually.
You know how you never think much about where to park, wanting to go shopping by yourself and maybe some friends, go dinner? Try crutching through the mall just to get to ONE bloody restaurant, let alone go shopping! WTF. I just wanted to go home as soon as I got there. But of course, as usual things got a lot better afterward. My body got used to the motion and extra limbs, I got to be pretty good at it. 
I have to say, it is a different world out there with these few weeks to be in the condition that I am in.
I was ushered to use the handicap toilet in KLCC.
A lot of strangers did not hesitate to chat and ask me what’s the story with my foot. (Again, wind up disappointing them with my lame non-story) People hold the door open (this NEVER happens) for me to go through, some of them (cute guy) even detoured and offered to open the door for me too. And I was just standing there waiting for my sister to come by at the door. Such a sweetheart.
The staff at my regular haunts were equally warm and concerned about it as well. I had no idea that they had even recognised me as a patron of their establishment. People in general were quite mindful as well. They would push the chairs and make way while I navigate my way through the tables and chairs in Pappa Rich (hey, a girl’s got to eat), the staff would hold the toilet door open for me while I saunter in with three legs.
It made me realise a few things. That despite the reported social climate looking depressingly bleak and terrifying, people, especially in this urban society, still have a respectable amount of concern and civic consciousness for their surroundings. It warms the heart to witness and be at the receiving end of all this.
