Our car is in the shop, but I had to teach yesterday.
So, off I hobbled with my crutches up to the main road.
The people here in my village are so damn sweet.
While I waited for a taxi, they offered me a seat, watching for a taxi and waved it down for me. They then held on to my crutches until I got in the car and handed them back.
Not to mention, the people in the car all arranged themselves so that I could be in front to make space for my crutches as well.
Honestly, I've never experienced the hospitality like I do here.
Even on the way back, an entire bus load of people moved about to make sure I was in the front for space with my crutches.
In Vancouver, lazy assholes sit in the disability seats not even standing for a woman who looks like she's at the end of her pregnancy term.
We don't have jerks like that here.
However, when you take the taxi or bus, they only run along one main road.
I had to make the trek to get to Dream Project, which would be a good 20 minute walk from the highway on HEALTHY feet.
There was NO way I could walk that road in my state.
I took a moto.
There I was, crutches in one hand, other hand on the man in front of me.
Gingerly squeezing my thighs against his hips, I feared that it's not the way people do things here, and I thought I looked like a twit.
People look like they don't even hang on.
Not me. The hand that wasn't holding on to crutches was white knuckled holding on the seat below me.
Even if I did do everything exactly right, people would stare because there was a gringa on the back of a moto carrying crutches.
That's more of a Dominican act.
But I made it over every speed bump, smiled and waved at the local coffee man, and we stopped at Dream Project.
Now to get off the moto. Fuck.
While compensating for my meagre balance, for fear of falling because I was trying to stand on one foot, I burned the inside of my calf on the exhaust pipe.
I didn't want anyone to know, because I was so embarrassed that I forgot about the detail of getting off the back of a bike.
Watch the fucking exhaust pipe!!!!
It's been a while since I've been on the back of a motorcycle.
Anyway. Singe. Burn.
Seeing that my students were all there watching me get off the bike, I was holding back the profanities with gritted teeth, then made my way up to the class.
I didn't want them to know about my mishap, as I was humiliated, so I pretended it didn't happen.
One of my students noticed and pointed to hers as well. She had an exhaust pipe burn that was half way through it's healing process.
I see what mine will look like in a week or so.
She laughed at me when I said, "One leg this, the other leg that!" indicating that I now have 2 screwed legs that look like I've been through battle.
I taught with the burn screaming at me for the first hour.
By the time I got home, it was a swollen rust coloured mess and Papi lovingly took care of it with polysporin and gauze.
Then he forced me into using ice and heat for my healing ankle.
Following that, he made me dinner and poured me my well deserved glass of wine.
My baby is back to being that loving, generous soul I fell in love with.
It's important to remember that relationships ebb and flow just the same as our own personal emotions.
The state of a relationship is just an extension of our own inner self.
Anyway, I'm not sure what it is about this country, but between Papi and I, we've both had nothing but wee accidents all over the place.
I guess we're going to toughen up.
It feels like we've gone to battle.
So, off I hobbled with my crutches up to the main road.
The people here in my village are so damn sweet.
While I waited for a taxi, they offered me a seat, watching for a taxi and waved it down for me. They then held on to my crutches until I got in the car and handed them back.
Not to mention, the people in the car all arranged themselves so that I could be in front to make space for my crutches as well.
Honestly, I've never experienced the hospitality like I do here.
Even on the way back, an entire bus load of people moved about to make sure I was in the front for space with my crutches.
In Vancouver, lazy assholes sit in the disability seats not even standing for a woman who looks like she's at the end of her pregnancy term.
We don't have jerks like that here.
However, when you take the taxi or bus, they only run along one main road.
I had to make the trek to get to Dream Project, which would be a good 20 minute walk from the highway on HEALTHY feet.
There was NO way I could walk that road in my state.
I took a moto.
There I was, crutches in one hand, other hand on the man in front of me.
Gingerly squeezing my thighs against his hips, I feared that it's not the way people do things here, and I thought I looked like a twit.
People look like they don't even hang on.
Not me. The hand that wasn't holding on to crutches was white knuckled holding on the seat below me.
Even if I did do everything exactly right, people would stare because there was a gringa on the back of a moto carrying crutches.
That's more of a Dominican act.
But I made it over every speed bump, smiled and waved at the local coffee man, and we stopped at Dream Project.
Now to get off the moto. Fuck.
While compensating for my meagre balance, for fear of falling because I was trying to stand on one foot, I burned the inside of my calf on the exhaust pipe.
I didn't want anyone to know, because I was so embarrassed that I forgot about the detail of getting off the back of a bike.
Watch the fucking exhaust pipe!!!!
It's been a while since I've been on the back of a motorcycle.
Anyway. Singe. Burn.
Seeing that my students were all there watching me get off the bike, I was holding back the profanities with gritted teeth, then made my way up to the class.
I didn't want them to know about my mishap, as I was humiliated, so I pretended it didn't happen.
One of my students noticed and pointed to hers as well. She had an exhaust pipe burn that was half way through it's healing process.
I see what mine will look like in a week or so.
She laughed at me when I said, "One leg this, the other leg that!" indicating that I now have 2 screwed legs that look like I've been through battle.
I taught with the burn screaming at me for the first hour.
By the time I got home, it was a swollen rust coloured mess and Papi lovingly took care of it with polysporin and gauze.
Then he forced me into using ice and heat for my healing ankle.
Following that, he made me dinner and poured me my well deserved glass of wine.
My baby is back to being that loving, generous soul I fell in love with.
It's important to remember that relationships ebb and flow just the same as our own personal emotions.
The state of a relationship is just an extension of our own inner self.
Anyway, I'm not sure what it is about this country, but between Papi and I, we've both had nothing but wee accidents all over the place.
I guess we're going to toughen up.
It feels like we've gone to battle.
i give myself permission to both fail and succeed
i missed a day of gratitude ... apologies ...Gratitude 4/10
1. I am grateful I toasted my coffee beans yesterday for awesome coffee today.
2. I am grateful I was able to teach yesterday and today.
3. I am grateful for the children making me happy.
4. I am grateful for air conditioning.
5. I am grateful Papi and I have lovingly communicated about our emotions.
6. I am grateful for the sweet people in this country.
7. I am grateful for all my friends showing me how much I'm loved.
8. I am grateful to have so many friends.
9. I am grateful for my Fuzzy Family making me laugh.
10. I am grateful I'm in a relationship with someone who works at it as much as me.
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