Reality TV show: Sidewalk stunts

So last night after work I took a walk and decided to take yet another different route. It's always interesting when I do that, because sidewalks are in various states of repair around town and I just never know whether I'll hit a good block or a bad block. Good blocks for a wheelchair user are those where there's a curbcut of an appropriate height -hopefully one both on and off the block- and sidewalks that are reasonably traversable. It's also helpful if branches from bushes are reasonably cut back, although that's a bonus. Flowers in my hair, I suppose, is nothing to complain about in the scheme of things, although goldenrod makes me sneeze.

But as I went up a hill past a cemetery, I thought I might wind up in the cemetery. There was a sidewalk that was so crooked side to side that it measured a three and a half inch rise on the right and was flush to the ground on the left. Now I know my wheelchair can do three inches easily but wasn't sure about the difference in grades from side to side.

A woman walking by stopped and watched me gauging the risk of this sidewalk maneuver. She didn't say a word, but her arms were full of college textbooks and she looked as if she'd been in a library for a week on end. Her eyes were squinting and her skin was pale. Doctoral student?

I thought for a minute she was going to bet me that I couldn't do it.

What the heck, I thought.

So I hit the joystick. My power chair lifted on the right with no problem and the left wheel just went over the even ground, and the chair turned a bit to the side, at which point I was facing the cemetery. I couldn't help but chuckle at that irony.

"Cool," she said, walking on.

Maybe I should start charging when I tackle some of these sidewalk obstacle stunts. Another reality TV show?