Limbs: An Appreciation

Four is such a good number. The Four Seasons, the Fab Four, the Fantastic Four, the Four Tops. Four food groups. Petit fours. Four walls. Four sided-pyramids. The Schick Quattro. Where would humanity be without that? But my absolute favorite four is the Four Limbs. Arm, leg, leg, arm. Excellence in design, right there.

A woman at my gym this afternoon was telling a group of us about a friend who had an ice-related accident. The friend broke both wrists AND twisted an ankle. Can you imagine? Oh, my goodness, can you even imagine? I hope she has damn good insurance. I hope she has a damn good husband! She can't even go to the bathroom on her own, God, she'll need therapy after this! We all shook our heads and lamented the poor woman's condition. Having broken a foot last summer, I've come to think that functional loss of a limb is one of the most frustrating afflictions there is. Not the worst, just the most frustrating. You feel okay, but you can't do squat. I used to have to put on sweatpants and shimmy across the hardwood floor with a Lean Cuisine on my lap, because it's not possible to use crutches and carry frozen chicken piccata at the same time. Believe me, this is even more depressing in person.

So, to be down three outta four is pretty much my nightmare. I spent the rest of my workout feeling thankful for all of my limbs, hoping that my only ever complaint about them will be that they're paler than average and kind of short.