Walking

I have not been inspired to write in the past couple of weeks. This weekend though, I was. At least this and another blog post on the way.

Walking as defined by dictionary.com "to advance or travel on foot at a moderate speed or pace; proceed by steps; move by advancing the feet alternately so that there is always one foot on the ground in bipedal locomotion and two or more feet on the ground in quadrupedal locomotion."

Often, we just mindlessly put one foot in front of the other to transition from one location to another. We do not think about the components involved with one step or stride. Being a physical therapist, I watch people walk daily. We dissect the gait cycle. How is the foot making contact with the ground? How do the hip and knee react? How can we make it more efficient, functional, biomechanically correct? One relatively slight change in mechanics or strength can decrease or increase pain.  Here on Mercy Ships, we attempt to correct gait patterns by changing mechanics through orthopedic or plastic surgeries followed by strengthening and orthotics when needed. A couple of weekends ago, I saw simply how life changing this can be for the patients.

A couple weekends ago, our day crew planned and executed a wonderful day trip to Foul Pointe, a beach about an hour north. It was a wonderful day complete with homemade ice cream, home cooked traditional Malagasy food and fruit juices, swim in the Indian Ocean, visit to a fort built to protect the Malagasy people from being captured as slaves, and great company.

On the way, we stopped by one of their houses to pick up a rehab team shirt. We drove off the paved road into a neighborhood. Turning right, twisting left, turning left, turning right and so on  we navigated our way through the maze of unpaved roads lined with small houses made of bamboo. It was eye opening to see where and how many of our patients live. It is even more amazing that any of them arrive to their appointments on time, much less most of them.

This weekend, on the road between Tamatave and Tana, I was struck again by the number of people walking on the side. Sometimes, it was not clear where they were walking from or to as there was no village in sight. All ages. Some carrying items, some not. They are walking for necessity rather than exercise.

On the initial screening sheets in their files, it is noted how long it takes them to get to the ship. Some say 4 hours yet they live in Tamatave. The follow up question, "Do you walk or take a tuk-tuk or Taxi bus? " is asked. A tuk-tuk ride costs $0.40.

Yes, clubfeet or bowed legs would not be cosmetically pleasing in any culture. In developing cultures where walking is a necessity for obtaining water and food, it is about function. People here will walk for hours and days from one town to the next. Next time I feel like we have been walking for a long ways, I will try to be grateful that I do not have to do it daily. I do it for enjoyment and exercise.