Of Learning Things and Small Annoyances by Konnie Enos

 

Over this past week, I’ve learned a couple of things.

First of all, as our loyal readers know, I’m ambidextrous because my very first teacher was old-school about handiness. Since I usually write with my right hand, I’ve always assumed few people would notice I’m predominately left-handed. I’ve certainly never given it a second thought.

Until this week.

By the weird circumstance of just being me, I occasionally have some injury/ailment that baffles me. These issues are usually fleeting enough that trying to present them to a doctor is futile because once I decide to see the doctor, they’ll disappear on their own.

This week my injury has been something affecting my left thumb. For the most part, I can use it, but some motions are uncomfortable. You know, stuff like the pincher move. Even typing has proved problematic if I forget and use that thumb.

Since it hurts, I’ve been attempting to not use that hand, or at least my thumb.

Would you all now kindly attempt to strap yourself into a car without using your left thumb? How about picking up your laptop or full water bottle that is positioned on your left to the point you cannot reach them with your right hand without twisting your body or moving?

Yeah. It’s been an interesting week.

Then there is discovering all the things I automatically do with my left hand, even though I could do them right-handed. Like flipping the top of my water bottle open. I’ve had to remind myself several times this week not to do that.

So despite the fact I already knew I used both hands, I’ve been learning this week just how often and for how many things I use my left hand.

Now on to the second thing I’ve learned.

For background, on February 8^th the oldest of my husband’s brothers passed away. Please note, my husband’s siblings are all younger than he is, his brothers by several years.

This necessitated his traveling to Oregon to attend the funeral. Plus, he gets to spend time with our grandbabies. Before he left he’d asked me about how I’d handle him being gone. Basically, he wanted to know If I’d miss him.

It’s not like we haven’t been apart from time to time in our marriage. I mean he was in the navy, and he did go out to sea, while I was pregnant. And that’s not the only time we’ve ended up spending a month or more apart for whatever reason.

I am also perfectly capable of driving myself where I need to go and dealing with daily household stuff without him. (Okay, so yeah, I do rely on our kids a great deal, but they can do things I can’t. Like reaching the top shelf or the bottom of the washer.)

And yes, I don’t care for sleeping in this bed alone, but I’ve managed before, so I can do it again.

And things around here were just fine, almost normal.                                                         

Until I had to be the designated driver for Royce (who still doesn’t have a license). Until I had to be the one getting up in the middle of the night to let Mabel, and sometimes Xavier, out while also annoying Melinda for all the times I slept right through them asking to be let out because they never once came to my side and pawed at me like they do Jerry. (I do understand Melinda’s annoyance since those were the times Mabel relieved herself inside instead.) Until I was the only one who could get up every 12 hours at seven on the dot to feed fur babies. Until I had to argue with my sons to go feed Jerry’s dog because I’m not going there.

I mean he’s a big loveable fur ball and I know he’d never intentionally hurt me, but he can look me in the eye while standing on all four paws. I do not need the big oaf jumping on me in his excitement. And I think at least half his excitement is because he wants to play. So yeah, I’m not going there.

Originally Jerry wasn’t sure how long he’d stay in Oregon because he wanted to see his other siblings, and our daughter, while he was there. Totally understandable, but I was getting frustrated enough to think about asking him to come home as soon as possible.

Luckily, I didn’t have to.

He decided on his own it was time to come home. Now I just have to convince someone else to deal with airport traffic and pick him up, this afternoon!

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.