Article for 2013 Apr 05

2013

2013 Apr

Apr 05 Wed

The shower in our accommodation isn’t temperature-adjustable. Hasn’t been all holiday. None of the places we’ve stayed at have had temperature-adjustable showers.

So nearly every morning I’ve been getting up to get in and get out of the water stream every five seconds like I’m partaking in a demented Hokey Cokey, because I’m too much of a wuss to have a shower under slightly hot water.

But not today! When I got into the shower today, I froze, though not in a temperature way. Using the joints that hadn’t solidified, my movements were as jerky as dried beef, but even so a decent amount of water got on my skin, and the rinsing of shampoo and soap was very successful. I felt purged.

As unusual as me tolerating a hot shower was, it isn’t as unusual as riding an ostrich. Yep. Twenty seconds of feathered wackiness. I think I’m best placed to describe what it’s like observing an ostrich ride, rather than describing doing it myself.

In front of me in the queue were a Canadian family: two parents, a son, and a daughter. The girl was very keen to be borne by a bird, and the parents were very keen she did. The keepers, less so: she had paraplegia and therefore impaired use of her legs. Not that that prevented her from having the thrilling experience of an ostrich ride. Oh no. She could hold on tight enough with her arms (and did).

Her (physically able) brother was as keen to not ride the ostrich as his sister was to ride it. He was terrified, too terrified to get on the bird, even after being informed that it’s quite safe as long as you don’t let go, that it’s fun if you just give it a go, and that it’s hilarious to watch others having a go.

After some time, he came to and came onto the ostrich. He enjoyed the ride. His family enjoyed watching him.

I think this shows that, for some people at least, mindset can be more of a handicap than body.