You don't realize how much you do something until, for whatever reason, you are unable to do it without some difficulty. For example, I spend a lot of my day seated, whether it's driving to various events or typing out things like this column. Most people do spend at least some of their day sitting down, even the most active person you know, just because it's a standard resting position. You do not realize this, because it's just something you do, not something you ever have to think about.
So for the past week, due to a freak accident involving laundry and stairs, I have been unable to sit without being in a great deal of pain. Standing is fine, as is lying down, but sitting has been extremely painful for the past several days. The worst sensation of all is standing up from being seated, which is like being stabbed by a million knives. As you might imagine, this hasn't been a great start to the new year.
What it has done, however, is made me very conscious of how I move and what I do each day, which makes you realize very odd things about things you do constantly. When standing up happens to be the most painful thing in the world, you notice every time you have to do it, and it turns out that in my case I'm doing it all the time.
It also puts into focus just how much sitting is part of our culture. Many times you'll meet someone and they'll suggest you have a seat, so it's always kind of weird when you say you really can't do that, at least not at the moment. It's just not a natural response, because it's just something people do. Sitting down is a sensible way to carry on a conversation, and while standing can make sense in some contexts it also is kind of off putting, especially if there are chairs right there.
There's no question that seating is a top priority when furnishing any space, and in many places it's expected that you take a seat, even if you have plenty of difficulty actually taking that seat like everyone else.
There are also things that are plain awkward to do while in any other position. Eating, for example, doesn't really work that well in any position outside of being seated, and I've attempted many different ways to do it in the past few days. It's something you have to do daily and it can't be avoided, but it's also something uniquely unappealing if you've got to be in pain through the entire ordeal. There is also no car on the market that can be driven while standing up, and while you can type while lying down, it is surprisingly difficult to do with very much comfort.
It's an interesting thing to think about as you go through your day, looking at all the different things you do that are easy, automatic and you don't even think about, and then considering what it would be like if it wasn't possible, or at least was very painful. In my case, it is sitting down, but there are all manner of other automatic actions that you do every day without thinking. Just taking one of those away would require you to completely change your life and routines, but until that happens you never really appreciate what it might be like to lose it.
While my problem isn't on the level of a permanent disability, it does make me appreciate what it is like to lose an ability you've had for a long time, and just what a major change it makes in your life.
