Learning to Walk

Wash out your ego every once in a while, as cleanliness is next to godliness not just in body but in humility as well. ~Abbe Yeux-verdi

Twice in my life, I've had to learn to walk again. The first time was in 2001 after a serious surgery. That was mostly a matter of abdominal stitches and feeling as though I was going to split in half everytime I stood up or took a step. This time has been a little bit different.

Since having my ACL replaced a month ago, I have literally been relearning how to place my foot and move my leg, consciously having to think about something most people take for granted in the same way as moving air in and out of their lungs. It's been a philosophical journey as well as a physical one.

Each day I go to PT, my therapist has me take a couple of laps around the gym, simply focusing on the mechanics of walking. The good foot takes its step; then my injured leg must strongly snap forward both from the hip and from the knee. The knee itself must go straight, something that has been a long time coming, and when the foot lands, it must roll from the heel to the ball of the foot before the good foot can take its stride. The toes need to be pointed forward, turned neither too far in nor too far out. All these myriad adjustments are things that I never thought of at all prior to the 19th of May, but are now a part of my every step.

It's amazing to me how complex our smallest motions and everyday processes are. It's humbling how hard it is to reteach myself those most basic of things. As I make my trips around the gym concentrating on straightening the knee and planting my heels firmly, I almost feel like it's a meditation like yoga. It's good sometimes to bring intense focus to simple things.