When you think of mittens, you picture little kids. Their fingers are too small to bother with gloves, and besides, they don’t really have to do much of anything with their hands. The grown ups dress them, zip up their coats, and take them where they want to go. Gloves are for busy adults who have to master many tasks with their fingers and hands. But when you pass eighty, you notice that the tips of your fingers are practically numb while you’re driving a car or doing ordinary tasks outside during cold weather. It may be caused by arthritis or poor circulation. But one thing is clear. It’s time to start walking with mittens.
When my daughter asked what I wanted for Christmas, I told her I wanted some mittens. Being a conscientious person, she looked around and came up with top-of-the-line.
Wearing mittens that first day was an adjustment . I walked down the lane, feeling like the little girl who walked to school wearing snow pants. Needless to say, I use a cane for hiking through the park. Yes, I could manage without the cane, but there are too many ups and downs in the pavement and grounds. Pride goeth before a fall. Anyway, gripping the cane with the mittens felt rather uncomfortable, at first.
Usually, after I’ve walked for a few minutes on a cold day, my fingers start feeling numb. This happens even with fur lined gloves. Isolating that pinky finger from the other piggies doesn’t work well. But that first day with mittens, my hands kept feeling warmer. By the time I finished my walk, they were actually sweating. My fingers didn’t ache; in fact, they felt downright flexible.
The next challenge came when driving on a cold day. Would I be able to steer, turn the key in the lock? I tried driving with mittens on a quiet street with little traffic. Again, an adjustment. But so nice not to have cold fingertips. If I’m driving a long enough way, I can take off the mittens after the car warms up. But my trips to town and the store aren’t usually that long.
If you see an old lady walking with mittens, don’t worry. She hasn’t gone daft. She’s just keeping her fingers warm.