I wish I could say I was rappelling. It would be more glamorous. However, I was not hanging hundreds of feet in the air off the side of a cliff. I was only 2 1/2 feet off the ground, sitting on a hammock. At least for a split second. Then, the next split of that second, I was headed to the ground – or I should say I backed into the ground really fast, pulling my hands up to get them out of the way of my falling body. The left-hand made it. The right hand became a casualty, along with my shoulder, elbow and a vertebra in the middle of my back. I made it 10 days before the swelling in my wrist went down and the bruises disappeared, then sharp stabbing pains convinced me to head to urgent care.
I suppose I should’ve been frustrated or worried or sick about what I would not be able to do, but I couldn’t help looking at the broken wrist as another part of my adventure. I’m really not a masochist. I’m just so energized by the lifestyle I’ve chosen in the last few months that it’s pretty hard to get me down. There’s no doubt it cost me some work time. On the other hand, some good things came out of it.
First, it gives me a great topic to blog about. My travels would be boring if there weren’t some obstacles to overcome, right? Second, the downtime I was forced into gave me a chance to spend quality time with a dear friend. Finally, even though I can type with my exoskeleton cast, the awkwardness of it has encouraged me to fire up my voice recognition software, Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I haven’t used it for awhile, and I’m pleasantly surprised with the quality of the new edition. In fact, once I spend some time with the program and become more adept at commands and dictation, I think I can even use this while I drive.
Don’t get all huffy, you mothers and compulsive caretakers out there! I’ve already done it with Nuance’s iPad app. If the road noise is not too great, the dictation is accurate enough that I can get the gist of my message down, then correct it later. Right now, I’m dictating at a McDonald’s where the background noise includes a television set over my right shoulder, Muzak over the loudspeakers, and people laughing and talking in the background. If I can do it here, I’m guessing this program will work great on the road.
That’s good for you, readers, because it will make it possible for me to create more blog entries. The whole experience has been good for me, because I’ve known for a long time that I need to become proficient with the voice recognition program. I have mild arthritis in both hands, and the doc says one of the best things I can do is minimize their use. No doubt, I have many more typing miles to go, but I don’t mind putting off that moment someday when I’ll find it too difficult type, and therefore too difficult to write.
I don’t mind telling you some of the other things that are pretty difficult to do with one non-dominant hand: wash your hair, pull up your jeans, fasten your belt, brush the offside of your teeth, and pull your hair into a ponytail. I’m actually pretty proud of myself for looking at this positively, making the best of it, and turning it into a decent blog entry.
I guess this is a good example of making lemonade out of lemons. I don’t want to be preachy, but hey it’s a good lesson for everybody to learn, right? If I can deal with a broken wrist while I’m writing blogs, you can deal with grouchy customers, evil bosses, bad service at fast food restaurants, and business coaches nagging at you to set goals. I promise to take my own advice next time disaster strikes, because I know it will. Me and my Dragon are ready.
