Autumn Is Finally Arriving

It was raining again this morning, but the air felt completely different from the humid heat we had grown used to. The temperature had dropped, and there was a distinct chill in the air.

It seems that autumn has finally begun to arrive in Kamakura. The seasonal rain front is being pushed southward by a high-pressure system from the north, and the long summer may be coming to an end earlier than expected.

At the same time, with so much unusual weather in recent years, even a welcome change in temperature can feel slightly unsettling.

For me, this change of season has coincided with another small transition: recovering from an injured Achilles tendon and deciding when I should finally stop using my walking stick.

It was raining again this morning, but unlike the humid heat we had been living with until now, the temperature had dropped and the air felt pleasantly cool.

The autumn rain front seems to have been pushed southward by high pressure from the north, bringing autumn with it.

I am glad that the summer heat may come to an end about ten days before the autumn equinox period, but considering the strange weather we have been experiencing in recent years, it also feels a little ominous.

In front of Kamakura Station, there was already a notice announcing the annual autumn festival at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

 

At night, many people had been practicing traditional festival music enthusiastically in the shrine grounds. I hope they will once again have the chance to show the results of all that practice this year.

The pain in the Achilles tendon of my injured right leg has improved considerably, although it is still clearly swollen compared with the left side.

I know that the tendon was overstretched, but whether there is inflammation, bleeding, or something else going on is impossible for me to know without actually looking at the tissue under a microscope.

Unfortunately, given where the injury is, it is not exactly easy to inspect it closely every day.

Still, it seems that I have somehow managed to get through the worst of it.

Yesterday, I went to the hospital where I work without my walking stick.

The difference was remarkable.

Without the stick, nobody paid any particular attention to me. I was simply an older guy walking slowly.

Until the day before, people had been noticeably considerate. Without the stick, that consideration disappeared almost completely.

Since there is still some pain, I brought the walking stick with me again today.

In fact, walking with it still makes my leg considerably more comfortable. And if the stick can turn other people's irritation at my slow walking into a little sympathy, perhaps I might as well keep using it until the pain is almost completely gone.

As I wrote recently, I have been surprised by how many people are kind and considerate toward someone who appears to have a physical handicap.

My rough impression is that, out of ten people, about four clearly notice the walking stick and make an effort to accommodate me.

Another four appear to ignore it, but quietly shift aside just a little.

The remaining two completely ignore it, and occasionally someone even seems to make things more difficult.

So perhaps those are the only people I really need to watch out for.

There is, however, another problem.

Since I started using the walking stick, the amount I walk has decreased considerably, which means I am burning fewer calories.

I walk more slowly, and instead of climbing two flights of stairs as I usually do, I sometimes take the elevator.

Perhaps not surprisingly, my weight has gradually started creeping upward again.

So I am beginning to think that if I can walk without the stick, even with a little pain, perhaps it is time to stop using it.

At the same time, part of me would rather continue accepting the kindness of the considerate people around me.

And yet, somehow, I also feel slightly guilty about doing so.

I am still not quite sure what the right thing to do is.

Perhaps the hardest part of recovery is deciding when help is still necessary—and when it has simply become comfortable.

・・・

humid heat
Hot weather with a lot of moisture in the air, making it feel uncomfortable.
蒸し暑さ

autumn rain front
A seasonal weather front that often brings prolonged rain to Japan in early autumn.
秋雨前線

autumn equinox
The time in autumn when day and night are approximately the same length.
秋分

annual festival
A traditional event or celebration held once every year.
例大祭、年に一度の祭り

festival music
Traditional music performed during local festivals, often with drums and flutes.
お囃子

Achilles tendon
The strong tendon connecting the calf muscles to the heel bone.
アキレス腱

overstretched
Stretched farther than is normal or safe.
伸ばされすぎた

walking stick
A stick used to support the body while walking.
杖

make an effort to accommodate someone
To adjust one's behavior in order to make things easier for another person.
人に配慮する

creep upward
To increase slowly and gradually.
じわじわ増える

feel guilty about doing something
To feel that something one is doing may not be entirely right or fair.
〜することに後ろめたさを感じる

 

#AutumnInJapan #KamakuraLife #WalkingStick #EverydayObservations #ChangingSeasons #KAMAKURA #JapanesePathologist