Right To Left

Being the inhabitant of an elder body, I find constantly, that there are surprises. Not all of them are nice ones to be sure, but with the right approach, most with help, work out somewhat agreeably. Unfortunately, one of my latest surprises, doesn't work with the "right" approach, therefore, I am left to try out the "left". My right shoulder and parts are in a bit of a snit and don't want to do what I need them to do. At least, not without a deal of ouching going on. I have a super doctor, but he is a doctor, and I suspect that if I see him about this shoulder matter, the word "surgery" might arise. Surgery is a marvellous thing and scores of my acquaintances leap at the chance to get their knees or hips or whatever "done". I am not of that thinking, however,  even though I do agree that it works wonderfully well for most people. Unfortunately, my elderly mother wasn't one of the lucky ones and when she had a second hip replacement surgery, she suffered a stroke on the operating table. She made it off the table, but with only a fifteen minute memory. The doctors did everything right but no one can dabble with nature entirely, and aging bodies sometimes break down the way nature decides, not man. Having surgery is a serious matter from the smallest to the largest kind, and for me to run off cheerfully to do it, isn't my first choice. In the matter of my complaining right shoulder, I have decided for the present, to abandon what is right and turn to the left. I have a body as most people do, that has two sides: a right side and a left side. When my right hand took on the challenge of arthritis, a very common activity amongst my  joints these days, I learned to do many things with my left hand. I intend to do the same with my right shoulder. I will continue to respect it as always, but from now on, I need to pick up things, push things and pull things, with my left side instead of my right. Today while making a pot of vegetable soup, I attempted to teach my left hand and arm to chop carrots, cabbage and a lot of other green things eschewing my fingers, to add to the cooker. It felt as though I were five years old and learning how to cook all over again. I had to go very slowly using the knife. I could almost hear my mother shrieking in the background, "watch that you don't cut yourself!". The soup was begun today with a full load of greens and reds and yellows and in the end I retained all of my fingers. It took a lot longer to do, and felt very awkward, but my right shoulder would have applauded grandly if it could. As it was, it sulked a bit, I thought. I think I heard it grumble, "well, if that's the way you feel - humph". Many right side tasks are now the job of my left side, and it makes me appreciate those who lose abilities or mobilities, and have to face switching uses of their bodies from one side to another. It is a learning process that takes a lot of patience but, how very lucky we are, to have "another side".