Soft-Footing

As I type this, the Nature Quote of the Day at the top of the blog page is from Buddha: "The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground." I am appreciating that thought from a whole new perspective these days. Several weeks ago, I'm not sure exactly when or how, I suffered a stress fracture in my left foot. After a couple weeks of increasing discomfort and swelling that wouldn't go away (and, in accordance with my new rule for going to see my doctor, after the fourth trusted friend or family member said: GO TO THE DOCTOR) I went to the doctor. Who sent me to a podiatrist. Who did a second set of x-rays and gave me a lovely padded, velcro-enhanced, giant, ankle-immobilizing orthotic boot. I got to wear it every waking hour, except in the shower, for three weeks. Now I am in the middle of three more weeks of nothing but sneakers. (Actually, that part is a dream come true for me, almost. If I could wear nothing but my favorite Tretorn sneakers no matter the occasion, I would be a happy camper. Of course, the trade-off right now is, I am still in some pain.)

Now to the point of the meaning of the Buddha quote. When I walk on the grassy ground, my foot feels considerably better than when I walk on the unforgiving sidewalk. I suppose we are made to walk upon the ground, rather than the manmade concrete. Regardless of the spiritual connection, the slight give of the grass is improving my rehabiliation efforts.