Just Don't Let it Become a Sort of Crutch For You

And what's wrong with crutches, if you happen to need one?

On the whole, though, I've always thought that canes were classier. And since my ankle has been nigh unto useless for weight-bearing purposes this last week--especially for going up or down stairs--I decided perhaps I needed a cane for a week or two. I was asking myself where one would go to find such an article when I realized that we had one laying around the house.

Some years back, when I was doing a prolonged stint of work in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, I bought a few carvings. I was particularly taken with the crocodile-headed cane shown to the left, which has been laying around our various living rooms ever since I brought it back.

Now, I'm not sure if the craftsman who originally carved this intended it to be used, or if it was a work of art pure and simple. It certainly is nicely detailed: cowrie-shell eyes, carefully articulated scales down the reptilian back...I'm especially fond of the way the tail reunites by wrapping around the cane, making the cane asymmetric in all three axes of rotation.

To those who question the practical value of art, I can only say that you never know when you might need some art to lean on.

That said, I promise to stop dwelling on orthopedic matters on this blog and get back to something more relevant. But that's for later in the week; right now I need to go do some physical therapy.