I think that these coincidences are sending me a message to write a post on my walking sticks.
WiseWebWoman has this fascinating post – Mr. Stan and the Brass Stick in her blog.
In another context, I was teasing my good friend Marie about young men giving up their seats for her in buses and trains, and I had this exchange with her on a Facebook post:
Ramana: Marie, if I ever saw you on a train standing, I would offer my seat to you and I am no spring chicken. Those young bucks are trying to hit on you.
Marie: Ramana, I would be offering you my seat since you walk with a stick/cane. I was trained to do so at an early age, and often give up my seat and move further back the bus.
I have been using a walking stick since January 1981. I never leave my home without one and there is one always kept in the car as a spare just in case I forget to take one. I do not need it inside the house, but find it very useful when I am out on unfamiliar terrain. I know that it is a psychological prop but since I am so used to it, I use it everywhere.
Most people who know me well scratching their heads to try and find a gift for me for whatever reason, or if they happen to come across a shop selling sticks suddenly remember that I use a walking stick and so get me one. I currently am in possession of over a dozen walking sticks and have stored most away in the loft. I do not remember how many I have given away to various needy persons. I regularly use one of the five shown below.
You will see one with a brass handle among that collection and a close up of that is this:
This brass handled walking stick was bought for me by a friend who was returning to India from the UK after a long posting there. The handle is in the shape of a crocodile and is quite comfortable to hold. He saw it in a shop in London and decided that it would be much appreciated by me and bought it on an impulse and shipped it to India with all his other household goods in a container. When he grandly presented it to me on his arrival here, both of us discovered that it was made in India and could have easily been bought here! But the thought was indeed much appreciated by me and every time he gets in touch with me, I do tell him that it is still being used by me.
Marie is not the only one who gives up a seat for me in public places. Apart from seats, I also get waved ahead in queues and get priority attention in most places because of the sight of the old man with the walking stick.
You may like to read the comment and WWW’s response to it in her post.