I don't know about other persons (according to the Associated Press Style book the word "persons" is used instead of the word "people" ... thanks to my parents paying for my journalism education and my having to learn the AP book) As I was saying, I don't know about other persons, but the past 62-years in which I have walked this earth are segmented into various "lives." There was the student, the sportscaster, newscaster, PR pro, and the adventurism me. The adventurism me did things like whitewater rafting, primitive camping, hiking up mountains, and so on.
During my adventurist time I owned a matching set of hiking sticks that I used to keep me on my feet. In light of my recent "tumble" while birding, I decided I needed another set. There I was in Dick's Sporting Goods ready to splurge on a set of sticks ... because protecting my shiny new $200,000 knees is a chief priority. I had a cute young man - young, as in complete with acne - tell me those sticks are now called "Trekking Poles." I was talking with this young man because I was about to make, yet another purchase, for the sport of walking. Note I called this the "sport of walking." I learned how to walk more than 60-years ago, but - for me - it became a "sport" when it started costing me a ton of money. Well, after listening to this nice young man, I bought the Trekking Poles.
If I had had the sticks earlier this month I might - emphasis on might - have stayed on my feet while birding with the Audubon group. Even if the sticks hadn't prevented the fall, they might - again, might - have made it easier to get up than to rely on two strong people helping me back on my feet.
The sales guy was telling me the versatility of the sticks, such as being able to use them while cross-country skiing or downhill skiing. This guy had no way of knowing my misadventures when having large planks attached to my feet, either in snow or on water. Those adventures usually ended with ambulance rides, ER visits without Dr McDreamy or Dr McSteamy, casts, and crutches. He even went as far as to demonstrate how one might have a "sword fight" with two sticks and a friend. There were all sorts of things I could have said, but decided the vast age difference between us was best described as wisdom ... as in don't bother to explain to him that I'm 62-years-old and trying very hard to stay upright while walking.
Here I am going to yet another "life," practicing restraint in what I say, and caution so as not to risk an injury. Friends all over the world are now wondering who is this person writing this post, because it's absolutely not the person who did adventure sports until realizing the "sports" were winning instead of me, not the one to button my lip, and not the person who would have had the sword fight right there in the back end of the store. Change is constant, and the only thing of which I can be certain. But if you see me walking down the street with my new trekking poles and wildly swinging one, you can either 1) shake your head and think Beth is revisiting some filed away memories of her youth, or 2) grab the other pole and join in the sword fight where we'll both laugh until tears appear or we pee our pants.
So, it’s one foot in front of the other to the finish line!
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