Looking For Laughs

One rogue vowel can be all it takes

Photo by Allec Gomes on Unsplash

My leg buckled. That’s the best way I can describe it. In one devastating moment, I landed on my leg, only to feel and hear it give way underneath me. I let out a sound, uncontrolled, raw and desperate. My other leg swept in to hold me up as I stood there knowing it was bad.

It took me a long time, the advice of one surgeon over the phone and the help of two amazingly caring and fit Samaritans to get me home that day. And that was just the start.

As someone who has been active all her life and danced professionally against significant odds, I am no stranger to rehabilitation. The instant I landed I knew too much not to be daunted about my road ahead. It’s easy to spiral out when the ground, or your leg, buckles underneath you. Devastation can be like quicksand. Buoys are essential.

Humor at any point in time, is an infallible buoy. It gives us hope, energy, strength, and the perspective to go on in the moments we need it most.

Whether we are hurt or not, humor is just as important for our health as measures like the surgery and rehab which I will undergo. That’s why I am so grateful for the heavy dose of humor that Life gave me just a few days ago.

Given my injury, I arranged for a Lyft to take me to my doctor’s appointment. This kind of daily transport was unusual for me, but I was newly injured and on crutches. I had been taking Lyfts all week to get back and forth to the doctor, the radiology center, etc. With the number of trips I was taking, I found myself getting into a rhythm: requesting a ride, leaving a note for the driver that I was on crutches and needing assistance, memorizing the license plate number and then gradually making my way outside when the driver was getting close.

And that was exactly the sequence I followed when arranging my ride home with Jesse, the Lyft driver… with one typographical exception.

I sent my message, “I’m on crutches and need a little help. Thank you!” and then proceeded to the pickup spot. As I waited for Jesse’s approach, I looked back at my message and saw that I had accidentally misspelled “crutches,” typing an “o” instead of a “u.”

That must have gotten his attention.

I quickly typed follow-up messages of “crutches” and embarrassed, laughing emojis. Jesse merely gave me the thumbs up. I don’t know whether he saw my original message and was willing to help me in either case, but I do know that I laughed about it all the way home. I still chuckle whenever I think about it.

Thank you, Life.