I was walking on Michigan Avenue in Chicago a couple of years ago and having some trouble with my gait -- a new problem at the time. It was lunch hour and I could just feel the heat of the other pedestrians' impatience with me.
I would step-step-pause and somebody behind me would groan. Or I'd step-step-shuffle-step-shuffle-stop and someone would push past me, bumping my elbow (which stick out when I'm symptomatic), almost knocking me over.
It was rude treatment to be sure, but no different than how I might have behaved if I'd never gotten PD myself. I thought about stopping and waiting for the crowd to thin, but I had to pee and, well ... you know all about that, don't you.
Anyway, my friend Hector (didn't I mention I was with my friend, Hector?) said, "You should get a cane." I'd heard that a few times recently from him and others and hadn't seriously considered it. But this time I said, "Maybe I should."
So we stopped at the Walgreen's at Chicago and Michigan to use their bathroom.(just in time, too), and then proceeded another block north (step-pause-step-step-pause-shuffle-step-step-stopping all the way) to Water Tower Place, which is sort of a 10 story glitzy shopping mall. I was hoping for something with just a little bit of style, but none of the trendy stores, even the out-doors ones, had canes. But just as we was about to give up, I found and bought a cheap wooden cane at a nondescript pharmacy/medical supply store on the top floor.
Then an amazing thing happened.
I stepped out of the store and into the mall and someone coming the other way saw the cane, paused and stepped aside before passing. Then someone held an elevator door and waited about 30 seconds for me to shuffle in, smiling at me all the way. And then, when we got back on the sidewalk, the crowd parted like the Red Sea! No groans. No pushing. Nothing but patience and consideration for the rest of the day.
And it's been that way ever since. Unless I forget (which happens, but that's another blog), I always take my cane whenever I go out in public -- whether I need it or not. Because I know, no matter how good I feel, I might need it after all. I just might.