Advancing to the rear.

http://offandonakpdrag.blogspot.com

So what does it mean, to be "off" or "on"? Simple: On is when your medication is working. You can walk, talk, run or play your dobro. Off? Off is for whispering, shuffling, or posing as a living mannequin in a department store window.

My most memorable off so far was at Seatac airport this Summer after a red-eye flight from Anchorage. I made it to the gate from the jetway, and then was utterly unable to do more than mince. Ever try to mince through an airport?

Having nothing pressing to do, we decided to to sit down, drink some coffee, and wait for the medication to kick in. Time began to mince, then to crawl then went completely off its meds. A few failed attempts to stride left me frustrated and restless.

Which was when my sense of whimsy intervened. If I couldn't walk frontward, maybe I could by God walk backward. To everyone's surprise, not the least mine, I took off in reverse gear and strode backward down the terminal at a respectable rate, albeit blind to where I was going. Pam and Wiley rallied quickly and provided navigational bulletins until we arrived at the baggage claim, strangely exhilarated.