Only One Day Out...

So, if you read the blog post below this one, you’ll read that I got my stitches out yesterday and got the go-ahead to start weaning myself out of the boot. It was exactly the news that I wanted to hear, and I’m afraid I’m walking around much more than I probably should be!

Last night, I was scheduled to play for the 9th grade choir at the annual Choral Showcase at the high school. It was pretty crazy, let me tell you! The biggest thing that I wanted to do was go out on stage without the boot, or the scooter (because one of the main jobs of accompanists is to just fade into the background). I didn’t mind the boot so much, but since my incision is still tender, it’s incredibly painful for me to wear it now. So, it was the scooter, or nothing. Guess which I chose?

The best thing about it all? I was so stressed out about actually getting up on stage that I didn’t have any time to worry about the actual music and performance. When it was time for the 9th grade choir to go up, John walked me up to the stairs that go up the side of the stage (figures that he chose to wear his neon-yellow Baltimore marathon t-shirt!). He held my hand as I went up. Then, I needed to stand on the side of the stage until Mr. Drafall finished his demonstration of warming up. When it was time, I walked across stage with hardly a limp. It was funny because I could see all the 9th grade kids looking at my foot (they’ve only seen me with the boot and scooter). I decided to still pedal with my left foot since I hadn’t practiced with my right. The one problem? I had pulled out shoes that I hadn’t worn in like 8 years because they were the only pair of black shoes I had that had no heel. The first measure of the first piece, the shoe got stuck around the pedal. It took me a couple of measures to get it out, and after that piece was over, I just slipped it off. Pedaling the piano, with my left foot, with no shoe—priceless! Then, after the second piece, Mr. Drafall wanted me to stand up and take a bow. I couldn’t get my shoe back on in time, so I took my bow standing on my shoeless left foot while gently holding up my right (with the shoe). When I asked Mark and John about it afterwards, they said they didn’t even notice, so I guess it was all good. Mark said one kid asked if I was okay when he saw me walking to the piano, so there must have been a hint of something wrong, but otherwise, it was all good. Of course, I was absolutely scared to death that I would fall, but yay! No embarrassing moments! John took a picture of what feels like the first day of the rest of my life: