Finally, a week later, feeling mostly well. Still a little wheeze in the chest when I breathe deep, so I need to be cautious…which is nothing new. As I was walking this morning I realized that having respiratory issues crop up has been a regular feature of my life every since we left New Mexico when I was about 13. I never had problems before that, but upon moving to Florida, it seems like my lungs just gave up being resilient. My first ten years in this state were marked by annual bouts of bronchitis, which can still flare up if I do not take care to go straight to bed the moment I feel chest congestion/coughing creep up on me.
Whooping cough in 2012 exacerbated that weakness.
I am grateful that I now have a job where I can take sick days. There were many times, many years, where I did not have a job with such luxury benefits and I would often work right up until I was bed-ridden and needed medical attention. But that’s America for you: no value for human life, much less quality of life. Work poor until you die poor should be the motto on our dollar bill.
Grim thoughts for a Friday morning but I suppose politics are getting to me.
The walk itself was quiet. Earlier this week there were a lot of homeless people trying to sleep on whatever surface they could find, including curling around the anti-homeless bars on tables and benches, but this morning the place was nearly empty. A couple of homeless people showed up eventually, trudging to the park with their backpacks and wretched old bikes.
Also missing were most of the regular walkers, but then, we did have a heavy rain move through yesterday evening so that might have scared them off. Things were still damp — the effect of Florida humidity — but the skies were clear, but even so, not many people showed up. Relentless Jogger Woman was there, and me. Not even Duck Guy showed up.
Keely was in fine form, tracking another dog I think as she buzzed back and forth over the sidewalk at a steady clip. I really need to brush her out, though, her fur has gone full raggedy doll yarn hair.