Escaping Prison

The snow outside is absolutely beautiful, clinging to the trees like frosting, sparkling in the sunlight, muffling the sounds of traffic below into an unnatural quietude. It is a Currier and Ives Christmas card, people walking about bundled up in coats and scarves and touques, all to buffer the chill of winter here in Calgary.

The snow outside is a prison, keeping me trapped indoors, making the sidewalks and roadways impassable for my power wheelchair, the slippery roads and cars whooshing by causing me concern, perhaps even fear, as I contemplate the passage from here to the mall across the street. The icy air and chill wind confirm even more completely my decision to stay indoors, locked away from the winter here in Calgary.

There are forever two sides to see, even when I look out over the scene playing before me through my balcony window. The window itself really isn't; it's actually a large sliding glass door with two equally large glass panels on either side. In deference to the icy winds and cold temperatures of winter here, the glass is all heavy, double-paned, with two sliding doors, a double-paned inside door and a single-paned outer door. That way you can have the inner door open during the cool of spring or the warmth of summer, and then use the inner door to block out the cold of winter.

Yet today I am tired of being a prisoner. The snow has stopped falling for today. The sun is out, clear and cold in the deep blue sky above. The temperature is a chill -13C; that's 9F for my American friends. No matter what scale you use, it's cold outside. I will bundle up just like everyone else. My heavily line sheepskin slippers are already on my feet, offering more protection than my shoes. I don't wear boots anymore; it's almost impossible for the HCA's or anyone else to get them onto my limp and non-cooperative feet and legs. I will wear a cap and the hood from my hoodie. I will have gloves on and zippers done up. 

I'l be okay. I'll enjoy it. I've been trapped indoors for almost a week. The forecast calls for more snow and icy conditions for the next week. After that, even the meteorologists admit to basically guessing, no matter how educated that guess may be. It is mid-winter. I have to take my opportunities where I find them. Today is an opportunity. I shall escape this prison of my apartment, breaking free to the great outdoors, to feel the fresh, albeit cold, air on my skin.