July 21, 2020 Inner Compass

Inner compassAs I write this story, I am reminded how memory plays a role in where items are in my home. I know that my coffee cup is to the left of my I Pad. My slate and stylus is in the middle of the table and the phone is on the far right wall.As I go navigate through my home , I know where the hallway starts, where the bedrooms are and what is in each.I can feel the tiles of the kitchen floor and know where the pots, pans and food items are located to be a successful cook. When cleaning, I feel the containers and even smell the contents to know if I have grabbed the correct cleaning solution .In my family room, I have my knitting yarns by color in a cabinet. I can easily locate each basket of color to work on a project.I can vacuum rooms by feel and following the room’s walls and working my way into the middle of the floor space.My Dad once closed his eyes to see if he could get around his home of 50 years. He admitted that he couldn’t find his way from his bed to the bathroom without running into furniture or a doorway. He asked how I could maneuver and not run into items.I told him that after trial and error, my inner compass know where most things were located. Just don’t move anything in my world

After I broke my pelvis, I had to relearn to balance and stand. I lost my inner compass. I would take my walker and end up in the living room when I was aiming for the bathroom. I kept running into furniture and walls, like my Dad. I had to count my steps to know if I was down the hall. I counted steps to the kitchen table and to the step down into the family room. Retraining took several weeks and I still have occasional difficulties. I hope that my inner compass returns.
Inner Compass
Do I turn right or left?How many to the bathroom in the middle of the night?In a strange room, can I identify where I am?Sometimes yes, other times no.traveling through my home each day is a new adventure.I put pieces of the puzzle together to fix my broken compass.