Gimpy Driving.

I drove today.

Did you hear what I said, people? I said, I DROVE TODAY! For the first time since November 13th, I got behind the wheel of my vehicle and ventured out into the world! I figured, hey, if I can sort of walk, I can probably sort of drive. How much movement is really involved in braking and accelerating? Not a whole lot, really. Except, yeah. That movement is something I haven’t done in forever, and today’s Behind The Wheel turned out to be a nice little learning experience for me. Here’s what I figured out:

• Getting out of the house all by yourself is nice, but difficult.
• The day you decide to try something new is the day you leave your handicap pass in your husband’s vehicle.
• Although I like rollin’ on twenties, my vehicle is SO FREAKIN’ HIGH OFF THE GROUND, YOU GUYS, OMG.
• Driving to Target is easy. Driving home is harder.
• The motorized carts at Target are harder to steer than the ones at Walmart, and their backup horn sounds are so unbearably shrill, I would circle the globe before putting one in reverse ever again.
• If you’re going to rely on a little motorized cart, you’d better plan ahead for when that fucker runs out of juice before you can get out of the store.
• Complete strangers will offer help when they see you carrying an armload of bags while leaning on a crutch.
• Hobbling across Target’s parking lot with one crutch results in a sore knee all the way home. That five minute drive all of a sudden seems like a bad idea.

So, yeah. I did it. I made it. Will I do it again? Not anytime soon. If I had somewhere nearby where I needed to go, and it was early enough in the day that my knee wasn’t throbbing, and I absolutely had to drive myself, I could do it. But if I drove myself to physical therapy, I have a feeling I wouldn’t be able to drive myself home. I’m just not quite there yet. And that’s a drag. But, at least I know what I’m capable of today, and I’m sure as the weeks go by and I get a little stronger, I’ll be blazin’ down the highway once again!