Immobilized Spine vs Gravity

My spine is motionless, fixed, and anchored in place. It no longer bends. The yoga and acrobatic sex ships have sailed. My muscles were so tight they bent the bones and as punishment someone came along and shoved rods into my back like steaks in a tomato garden. This is good because my spine will not be able to continue bending until organs eventually become compressed, but bad because, call me crazy, I found bending over super useful.


The other day I went to get gas, which has always been one of my least favorite activities. I pulled up to the pump, assured Riley this would just take a minute and pulled the lever to release the door to my gas tank. I climbed out, hobbled around the back of the car and unscrewed the gas cap. At one time my gas cap was attached with a little piece of plastic and I could just let it hang there, this is no longer the case. I usually set the gas cap behind the luggage rack on top of the car while I pump.

Today I was pulled just a bit further forward than normal so when I set the gas cap on the roof of the car it rolled down the back window, bounced off the bumper and kept going. I stood there thinking "Oh, crap! Some car is gonna pull in and crush it or knock it into the road." Before I had really considered the ramifications I walked over to where my gas cap was laying.

There I stood several feet from my car with the baby in it unable to pick up the gas cap, in a high traffic area. After what felt like hours (maybe 30 seconds) I knelt down and picked up the gas cap. Now I was several feet from the car stuck on my knees. I tried to calculate how long it would take to crawl back to my car and pull myself up verses rolling towards the much closer curb and praying it was high enough to use. I doubted greatly I'd be able to mange either without being hit by a car.

I knelt there feeling like the worst mother on the planet for abandoning my baby and hobbling away from the car without my crutches and eventually leaving her motherless when a distracted businessman pulls in for gas and flattens me like a pancake. I looked around again trying to pysch myself to crawl for it and that's when I saw someone crossing the street. I'm not exactly the "always relied on the kindness of strangers" girl, but sometimes it's the best option.

"Excuse me" I called over to the man who looked more than a little confused by this lady kneeling at the gas station. With great trepidation he came closer. I wasn't exactly at my most eloquent I said something along the lines of "Hi! Um, could you give me a hand up. Please. I just need a hand up. I dropped my gas cap. My back is fused." I said all of this at very quickly and with a huge embarrassed grin on my face. I'm lucky he didn't turn and run. With an expression no more trusting than he started with he asked "Why, what's wrong with you?" What a question, I took a breath and said "I have a bad back. I just need a hand up."

He eventually extended his hand and I was upright again. I hate gravity. Next time you drop something take a moment and consider what you would do with a back that doesn't bend and bad balance.