Progress Report - 13

Brain J. Sullivan

Do you remember the Heinz ketchup commercial with Carly Simon singing "A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n" as the person with an over turned bottle waits for the ketchup to come out? I have my own version.

It begins with a close-up of my cast; slowly the camera pulls back, revealing more of my cast and eventually my leg. "A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n" would be playing. The camera fades out, then in. A hard plastic cast is now around my leg. The camera pans to my wrinkly toes, I try to move them, but nothing. "A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n."

Months later I am standing with the help of crutches. The camera pans a beautiful park setting, in the background children are seen running about. The camera slowly pans from the children in the distance to a close-up of my walking cast as it slides painfully forward a couple of inches. Playing in the background, "A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n."

Each day I spend a couple of hours in physical therapy trying to make a little more progress than the day before. The camera pans to the slow movement of the weights attached to a pulley. "A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n."

Spring has turned into a beastly hot summer, which has already begun to have cooler nights. The fall colors are just around the corner and winter not far behind. "A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n."

Friends, cousins, nephews, nieces, brothers and sisters are another year older. Each busy with their own life. "A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n."

The first drop has almost reached my plate. I vigorously shake the bottle, but it does not speed things up. I wait. "A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n."