Taking things for granted

My mother has always said that you do not appreciate things until they are gone. In fact she used to try and prove this point by temporarily depriving us of something that we took for granted; like sight and thumbs. No she did not blind us or chop off our thumbs, that is a bit extreme even for my mother. No she would blindfold us, or tape down our thumbs, or whatever, and then would take us to the store, or make us do chores.

Oddly it was a very enlightening experience. Not that I ever doubted how important my eyes or thumbs were, but those experiments really brought to light how important they are.

One thing I suppose I always have taken for granted is my pinky finger. I mean what reason would I ever really have to think of how useful that one digit is? It sort of just hangs out there on the end and occasionally helps grip stuff.

Well last night in a stroke of brilliance I sliced off a chunk of the tip of my pinky finger on my right hand. It is nothing really serious, but it has left my pinky useless for today. Suddenly I realize how much I need my pinky. Typing is particularly irksome just now. The pinky is for my enter key. Making new paragraphs is hard just now. Most of the time I end up with a / or ' instead of a new line. My ring finger is simply opposed to hitting enter for me.

Also my right hand is currently useless in a number of functions I need it for. The bandage on my finger has to remain in place for 24 hours at least because they are worried that the wound will open and start bleeding uncontrollably again. So I have to keep the bandage dry and clean for 24 hours. I am right handed. I want you to stop and ponder what precisely that entails me not doing.

Right.

So showering last night was an experience. Let me tell you, showering one handed is not easy. You should try it some time. Suddenly you will have a new found appreciation for two hands.

So all in all I have to take this moment, during my pain, to remember to appreciate things in my life that normally I would just take for granted. Things like the ability to hit the enter key, or to shower with two hands, or fishing change out of my right pocket.

All small seemingly unimportant things,  until you can not do them.