Excuse Me Sir ...

'My friend who was really obese like you just died.'

Now there's an opening line you want to hear while stuffing your face with a cheese and cracker at a Christmas party. I had to fight back anger and keep my mouth shut. I didn't know this woman, she clearly had something to say, I wanted to hear her through before lambasting her for her lack of social niceties. Along the way her ramble took me to a friendship of many years, to a woman who was a nurse and had 'fought the battle with her weight her entire life', who had gone for bariatric surgery and died soon after, who had a scooter that was designed for someone very large, as executrix of her estate she needed to find someone to take the scooter, one of the big charitable agencies turned it down, do I want it could I use it.'

Whew.

I looked at her and her face was full of sorrow. She clearly missed her friend. She clearly took her duty as guardian of the estate seriously. She'd seen me around in my chair and wondered if I could use a scooter. I immediately pushed her bumbling start aside, realizing that I'm not sure I would have had the social skills necessary for beginning that conversation either. Her intent was kind even though her approach was less so.

We exchanged phone numbers and Joe and I talked about it. There were certainly some outings where a scooter would be preferable to a chair. Too, Joe has some difficulty with his knees and occasionally with his feet. A second mobility devise might come in very handy over the next few years. We decided to give it a go and check it out.

After work today Joe and I will head down to this woman's apartment and take a look at the scooter, Joe maybe driving it home with us. What fun.

We're thinking of taking on the Hell's Angels for control of Downtown Toronto, look out for the Crippled Avengers!