Friday, September 04, 2009

Four would be a confutation

Last night I was listening to Peter White’s programme, No Triumph No Tragedy, an inspiring story about a helicopter pilot who lost both legs in Iraq.

One small detail intrigued me. Although her artificial legs are obviously just that, titanium poles, robot legs as children call them, not made in any way to look like normal human ones, she always wears skirts these days. Even though she often wore slacks in the old days, before the accident. This is on straightforward grounds of practicality, autonomy, independence – getting herself dressed, going to the bathroom etc.

This intrigued me because I went the other way, for not entirely dissimilar reasons, though all I have is a dodgy disc.

The sudden craze for Lycra in everything was my downfall, especially in tights. M&S used to do a line of what they called soft tights – almost the same size off as on, they were very easy to put on & pull up, nothing to strain my back against at all. Then they just withdrew them. There seemed to be no alternative to Lycra – I think they are supposed to make your legs look better, but in those early days at least the tights looked as if they were made for midgets, needed enormous strength to pull on. I usually used to start lying on the floor then stand for the final haul.

Despite all this strength, it was distressingly easy to poke my thumb straight through to produce a hideous hole as I attempted the last stretch above the knee. More than once I had to start over again with a fresh pair.

I decided enough was enough the day I was reduced to tears of frustration as I started on the 3rd pair. It has just been trousers & socks ever since. (It was a while before I realised that everybody wears trousers all the time these days anyway)

I had not heard the beginning of the programme so I was paying attention at the end to catch the pilot’s name.

Duckworth. Tammy Duckworth.

This business of coincidences – well, I think the things I notice are different just because I am often thinking about what might make a piece for a post these days.

But now I am on the qv for another . Just to disprove that other old saw, Everthing comes in threes, I need a 4th appearance of the name in an unlooked for place


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