12 Jul 2007
There's a card in the tarot deck called the two of pentacles. It's a festive card, with a juggler managing to keep two coins in the air. Essentially, this card highlights the need to balance all our commitments, dreams, hopes, etc.
I get this card quite frequently when I do a reading for myself....but, for me, I think it has a different meaning. For me, this card reminds me that I usually have both hands full, and I probably should plan for that.
You see, if you're legs don't work, then you're arms need to work twice as often. And many activities, without ready access to arms, are not able to be run simultaneoulsy. You see, if I'm pushing a wheelchair, I can't carry too much. (for example, I'm sitting here beside an Ikea table....still in it's box. I wanted it, I bought it, but my brother and a workmate had to carry it out of my mother's car. How annoying was that!!! (for all of us) And now, it sits in the box until someone else pops in for coffee (and I sneakily get them to assemble the table!)).
But, I digress. My point being, if you already have both hands full, you can't continue to fill them.
Unfortunately, I like a chat, and I like a demonstrative chat. It's important to punctuate what you say with your hands. Now, this isn't always possible when you're attempting to move a chair in a straight line....so, I've mastered the art of an "eyebrow conversation". Dare you to try it at the pub. Find a mate, ban the use of hands, and make your point only with your eyebrows. For the more experienced player, ban words as well! (Let me know if all the other people in the pub gave you a really wide berth after that!).
Even when my hands are not required to make a point, I can't keep still in a conversation. When I'm lecturing at uni, I can't sit behind the lectern cos I'm too short and the students wouldn't be able to see me. So, I sit beside the lectern, on the stage, wearing a portable mike. Last semester, some of the students started giggling in my first lecture. During the break, I casually asked what was funny, and they said they were surprised cos they didn't expect a lecturer in a wheelchair to pace.
Yep, apparently, I pace backwards and forwards across the stage during my lectures. Didn't even know I did it. Must be distracting. That would account for the low marks this year!
But, the biggest difficulty with hands multiply-full is when driving. This morning on The Age Online, they told a story about a man in india who was talking on two mobile phones, whilst driving the car. Apparently he was steering with his knees. I'm so jealous!!
And try not drive behind me during Cold and Flu season. Imagine holding your hands in a half bench-press position, and then sneezing. Your hands automatically push forward. Imagine then if one of your hands was holding the control for the brake. Yep, if I have a cold, I bunny-hop all the way to work.
Last night, the straw broke that camel's back (and now the camel will have to use his front hooves twice as much!!).
I was driving home at about 8.30pm. Tired. Cold. Wanting to go to bed.
I began a very large yawn. And, just as I did....just at the point of my eyes going squinty....I saw.....a spider hanging from the roof of the car. (A small spider, but a spider nonetheless).
Immediately, I went to cover my mouth, but....the traffic lights had gone red up ahead, and I had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the brake. Both hands were full!!!! I had no other option but to try and close my mouth during a momentous yawn.......
...........I think I may have pulled a lip muscle
Cheers,
L
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