Day Tripper
I swore, when I realized I was destined to replace both my God-given hips with two metal cyborg stand-ins, to make the absolute most of my upgrade. I decided (after consulting with my husband) to become an intentional walker.
What this means is walking not as exercise, but walking to a destination, with hints of pilgrimaging and contemplative movement thrown in. I cast around for a name for this new endeavor, but anything using “walker” conjured up images of The Walking Dead with its disgusting soundtrack (which you notice more when you’re simply listening, not watching, but that’s another post all together.) It took me a while, but finally I landed on a winner: day-tripper.
We (because my husband is nothing if not a trooper) began our new day-tripping life with Crescent Park.
Crescent Park, the name of which is a play on New Orleans’ Crescent City nickname, runs along the Mississippi River. The park is identified by its own crescent, an image I’ll share later. We’ve walked sections of the park before (Evangeline’s favorite off-leash dog park is along the walkway) but today we did the whole enchilada.
We began at the beginning.
Fortunately, the stairs have a convenient alarm in case you pass out
which I didn’t—I made it over and arrived on the river side of the levee
where we watched the mammoth ships pass
and walked to directly behind our apartment
Did I mention the temperature was in the upper 90s? It was hot. The air descended on you like a blanket; a searing wind dried the sweat from your skin. I remembered that heat could kill you—overheat your brain, zap you into oblivion before you knew what hit you. I prayed for stamina, aided by a street sign:
My prayers were fervent . . . those steps in the background were how you exited the park.
An ending that sent me scurrying to the air-conditioned, coke-serving, shaded Markey’s Bar
and finally home. A successful beginning, I thought. After all, I was still alive, wasn’t I?
Crescent Park, Crescent Park New Orleans, Exploring New Orleans, walking after hip surgery
Joe Hawes
A new phrase is added to the old saw: “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun.” viz. “And young women testing new hips.”
Ellen Morris Prewitt
“Young” 🙂
Erin
I’m all for intentional walking, particularly if it involves a stop at an establishment like Markey’s Bar for a cool beverage or, in my neck of the woods, depending on the weather, Moxie Java for a mocha and scone!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
I found the seat at the bar directly in front of a standing fan, and then I thought I would live. A Moxie Java sounds like something that would have the same effect. 🙂
Joanne Corey
I love your explanation of intentional walking, although I think I would have melted in that heat. I’m such a delicate flower! 😉 Glad that you had the stamina to make it through successfully. I hope you carry water with you to keep you hydrated until you get to the watering hole at the end.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Yes, we took a tall plastic up with a lid they gave me at the surgery center–I liked the symbolism of that, but it leaked so we will have to get a real water bottle. Functionality rules, I suppose.