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August
Break a Leg!
This is a well-known idiom in theatre which means
‘good luck.’ It is typically said to
actors and musicians before they go on stage to
perform. Of course luck or chance is fortune,
whether bad or good, which occurs beyond one’s
control, without regard to one’s will,
intention, or desired result. The origin of the
phrase is obscure, but there are many speculations
that it came from bowing or curtsying to royalty,
the Greeks stomping instead of clapping, the Romans
cheering the gladiators to keep their lives and
only cripple the other opponent by breaking his
leg, and on and on. But dancers don’t want
people to say ‘break a leg’ when they go
on stage because that is the last thing they want.
Of course, on the other side of the coin,
neither do seniors want the chance or fortune of
‘breaking a leg’ because that can hinder
their route to the book store, candy store, or the
drug store to stock up on a pain killing creams. It
can cause other problems for seniors like a bad leg
for life and maybe pain for life and the dependence
on a wheel chair or walker; nobody wants that. Then
there is the problem of walking around with a cast
on your leg for several weeks, and maybe with a
cane or a pair of crutches, and there goes your
image and any chance of attracting that special
person unless they are a nurse or doctor.
And maybe on the lighter or animal side of the
coin is a life of exercising and stretching to keep
in shape. Things like quadriceps stretches,
hamstring stretches, lower back lifts, and chair
rotations, which is probably the easiest exercise
because you are sitting in a straight back chair
twisting and turning
Without the daily walks for exercise a senior
can become grumpy, or grumpier, miss the joy of
seeing the scenery outside the living room,
avoiding the neighbors barking dog, chatting with
neighbors along the way, stopping at the newspaper
machine for a daily news, and just plain old
keeping hale, healthy and fit to fight off the
others at the dinner table. Of course you can
follow the advice of Mark Twain, “I have never
taken any exercise except sleeping and
resting.” Thanks, Mark, but that doesn’t
work here. Or better yet the advice of John Adams,
“Old minds are like old horses; you must
exercise them if you wish to keep them in working
order.” And we guess that can apply to old
legs as well.
Of course the best advice for avoiding a broken
leg is to not become an actor or musician, or stay
in your easy chair and never get up, hire a maid to
retrieve all your snacks and games, change the
channels on the TV, and get into the perfect shape
on not being able to walk far enough to break a
leg. Now that sounds like good advice, that is, if
you want to shorten your life by several years
because legs aren’t important to angels and
devils; they fly or slink around. “God has
placed no limits to the exercise of the intellect
he has given us, on this side of the grave,”
said Francis Bacon, and the same could be true of
the legs.
So, break a leg, that is, good luck with
exercising and avoiding casting, meaning the ones
on a broken leg, not auditioning for a part in a
play.
©2013, Patrick
Kennedy
* * *
Man arrives as a novice at each age of his life.
- Nicolas Chamfort
Patrick
M. Kennedy (P Manvel Kennedy) has been a
professional writer, editor, and graphic artist for
over 30 years. He is the author of three books:
More
Fun with Retirement: A coffee break for
seniors,
How
to Have Fun with
Retirement, and
Being
a Senior Citizen: You rnew phase of life with
many questions looking for
answers. and his
latest book: More Fun with Retirement: A
coffee break for seniors. He currently works from
Boise, Idaho. In the past he has worked from
Seattle, Indianapolis, and Las Vegas. He keeps busy
because he knows it is important when writing or
editing any material with a particular objective in
mind, for either personal use or business goals, to
present ideas with quality, clarity and accuracy.
He can do that, and he does most of it himself, but
he occasionally must call upon qualified associates
for assistance.
"My Resume shows me as an
experienced professional writer and editor who
specializes in the English language. With years of
professional experience in the
writing/editing/graphics field, I offer quality
services to both individual and business clients,
with prompt and accurate solutions designed to meet
their needs, and online editing services and
writing services for easy and quick results.
www.abetterword.com
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