Yesterday. Oh, yesterday. I was in pain.
I had a minor migraine. I was drowsy. My foot was killing me.
Mid-afternoon, I went for a cup of coffee. I’d been hobbling all day. The pain had almost worked itself out.
I’d been listening to some John Lennon on my computer while I wrote short features for the publication. When I got back to my desk, coffee in hand, I sat down, slipped the headphones back on, and the first thing I heard was…
Sean Lennon saying, “You need somebody to love.” Picking up exactly there. “You need somebody to love.”
There’s a track on the Lennon Anthology where Sean Lennon, all of four or five tries to sing, but mangles instead, the lyrics to “With a Little Help From My Friends.” It’s charming for its portrait of John Lennon in his house-husband stage, as John then has a conversation with Sean about the song. It’s just an oddity.
But it was the odd serendipity of “You need somebody to love,” tuneless as it was, being the first thing I heard as the headphones went on. Because you see, we all need somebody to love. All you need is love. Cheese and onions. Oh, wait, that last one was The Rutles.
I drank my coffee. I had aches. And oh, did I ever have pains.
I’ve probably told this story before.
In college I broke a bone in my foot. My left foot. I slept in the top bunk, the University of Richmond had hard vinyl floors, and I’d jump down out of bed every day excited to face the world. I’d land on the balls of my feet, the balls of my feet would hurt, and I’d get used to the pain. I’d limp.
Well, one time, jumping out of bed, something broke.
And I didn’t realize it. My feet were always in pain.
The bone healed. Eventually.
But sometimes, when the weather changes, my foot hurts like a goddammed motherfucker. I don’t just limp. My foot feels like someone took a hammer and pounded my second toe into dust. And then the ball of my foot will feel like it’s hot and swollen. It only feels that way–it actually isn’t.
Yesterday, I got up, and I knew. My foot was going to be my worst enemy.
And it was.
The morning was terrible. I could barely stand. Hobbling was a nightmare. I kicked my shoes off at my desk. My mid-afternoon I was okay. Wiggling my toes was not recommended, but I’m such a fidgety person that I have to wiggle my toes.
By bedtime last night, my foot felt almost normal. Which means that today will probably be miserable. Call it a hunch.
I’ll be limping for a week. I know that.
I generally avoid shoes. That’s actually a good thing–you feet love you if you don’t put them in shoes as it allows the bones to breathe freer.
If I have to go out, outside of work, the next few days, I’ll wear my sandals–the velcro strap across the ball of the foot and the toes will keep the toes generally rigid and take some of the pressure of walking off the toes.
And ibuprofen? You are my friend. 😉