Old Farts

For the past three months, I've had a shoulder/neck pain in the right shoulder. This is actually a pain I've had for over 25 years. I've been to a chiropractor and family doctor but to no avail. Thing is, the pain does not limit my mobility, and while I can point to the area because it feels hot and inflamed, no amount of drugs or massaging gets rid of it. It is a deep deep embedded pain that flares up during stressful periods or when I've been really really bad with my diet. I think this bout was triggered by really really bad eating and poor sleeping a few months ago. It feels like a torn muscle or really bad bruise.

So last week, The Man complained of a similar pain in his left shoulder.

A few night ago, The Man bought some Absorbine Jr. At bedtime, we rubbed the reeky stuff on each other. He lay on his side of the bed, me on mine, far far away from each other because we both stank. The rub provided some temporary relieve so that I heard The Boy get ready for bed but fell asleep before he finished. Don't know what happened to The Man.

I have envisioned evenings spent with The Man reading - him in his chair, me in my corner. I have imagined evenings of us going to dinner then going for a walk. I would like us to spend an evening listening to music and making a meal. But I have never imagined us spending an evening rubbing Absorbine Jr. on each other and not knowing when my son went to bed. Has this become my life?