I have reached another milestone in my life. I am 75. I am contented. I am blessed. This is a very good time for the perpetual calendar to give me a National Holiday on my birthday, don't you think! Yep, every six and eleven years I believe it is.
I tore around like mad in my tomboy days and loved every minute of it. Then the day of reckoning came. One month before my 17th birthday, the dread disease of polio put an end to all that. My senior year of high school was not so good. Basketball was out. And that was devastating to me. Once I was able to return to school in November or so I think, I tried to go with my friends to things but it was difficult. No one fought with me for the front seat in any car we were able to muster up and, of course, I slowed them down. So, after a while, I didn't go.
I know that sounds sad, but it really isn't. I stayed home with my mother and we read books all winter. I would never have done this with her otherwise as you all well know. At the time I was miserable (I thought) but in retrospect it was a wonderful time in both our lives. We had a great time together. I love thinking about it.
I thought I would be in a wheel chair by the age of 40. I wasn't! At 50, I rode a bicycle from Mondamin to Missouri Valley (one fairly good leg), about 15 miles. The best part of this is, I didn't win the race, but I didn't come in last. There were two women much younger than I who came in last. And I still was not in a wheelchair.
This milestone has me a bit closer to that situation but I now have a brace that I wear that gives me security and is something I should have done earlier. I use my crutches a little bit more now but I can still get around and enjoy many things. I have put a rented scooter to good use at Walt Disney World the last two years with my family.
So, here I am, 75, and wondering if I will get to the next milestone. I think that at this stage in life it is closer, probably 80. I am ready for it! One day at a time!
