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Today marks a day of Vested Wisdom for many reasons. This topic has become loaded with so much meaning today that I’m still trying to fully grasp all the changes required. I’ll talk more about that later.
I was watching the Vice Presidential debates and one of the questions really struck me as odd. “What is your Achilles heel?”
To most Americans, they know what that means. For me though, many years here is not enough to pick up all of the various terms, slang, and implied references to literary items I’ve never read. So that question was confusing me. I had to turn to my geek encyclopedia reading husband for the answer only to find he is even more of a geek than I originally knew.
He immediately began telling me the exact Greek mythology story it was referring to because he had read all the books regarding Greek mythology years before it was assigned in school. Between that and his ability to never forget anything he pays attention to, he nearly recited the story to me completely. I believe we did not bother with Greek mythology in school in the Philippines. If we did, I know I didn’t pay attention to it.
The reference the VP question made was to the Greek mythology story of a hero named Achilles. He was a warrior who was invulnerable to harm except for one area on his heel. Of course, he died from a wound to his heel later on.
The name Achilles is also given to the Achilles tendon. It is arguably one of the most important tendons in the body as it supports your entire weight when you walk. If you tear the Achilles like Misty May did, then you are in for surgical repair and a yearlong healing process. The recovery takes so long because of how important the tendon is. If it is hurt with tendinosis, it will seriously impact your ability to walk as my hubby had it in both Achilles for 5 years. If you rupture it in either a partial tear or a complete tear, your ability to walk is removed as you can’t bear weight on that leg with the injury.
What is the major change in the lives of my husband and me? We need to be there for someone of advanced years who has suffered a partial tear and is in a bad bind.
(As a footnote, I tried to watch the Presidential debate but I turned it off because both candidates suck.)
Thank you,
Anah
