5 more things: thanks, Boot!

1

There is a certain grace in getting somewhere slowly. I’ve realized these last 10 days that perhaps one of the reasons I’m so freaking accident prone is because I always seem to be in a hurry. I take things out of cupboards quickly. I walk super fast. I sometimes whip around in my kitchen so quickly that I drop knives on the floor. I really need to just chillax sometimes.

2

Everyone else really seems to be in a hurry, too. Not toooooo many people have stopped to walk slowly with me and chat along the way. A few have, and I have really appreciated their conversation. Others have stopped to help (as I mentioned last time) but they don’t seem to know what to talk about when we’re going so slow, and I keep feeling their impatience, gurgling at the surface of the trite things in our conversation. Is this what others feel like when they’re around me when I am in a hurry? :-/

3

Sitting for too long makes for a sore back. This is problematic because walking or standing for too long (more than 10 minutes, generally) makes my foot ache. So I am trying to find a balance. I really wish I could just pull out my yoga mat at school…

4

Taking taxis everywhere is really quite a luxury (and an expensive one at that — oof! I need to write a separate post about the expenses of illness), but the truth is it makes me a little bit lonely. I actually enjoy taking public transport. I like being around people, as crazy as they are. I enjoy people-watching. I like the energy. I like feeling like I’m part of something, even if that something is just the shared experience of Going To Work. Taxi drivers in Singapore are generally lovely — and quite helpful when you’re injured — but I miss being around people in the mornings and evenings. I miss the collective energy of those parts of the day. I’m feeling more isolated now, and I’m not sure how to deal with that. Stay tuned for future lessons. 🙂

5

I am becoming more patient with myself. I now know it will take me nearly 7 full minutes to walk to the gym or canteen from my desk. Stairs will take 3x as long as usual, regardless of whether up or down — last week’s fire drill wasn’t fun! But I’m okay with this now, and after nearly tripping over a curb (!!) in a parking lot last week while I was chatting with someone and not paying attention, I am realizing that it is far more important for me to just SLOW DOWN and get from Point A to Point B properly. The last thing I need is another broken bone!

  by  Natodd