accidental sympathy

I joined some friends for lunch in the courtyard at our church on Wednesday.  This is a weekly opportunity to bring your own brown bag lunch and chair and do some safe distance socializing.  I don't have a lawn chair but I happened to have, in the back of my car, a walker, the kind with a seat.  A friend had borrowed it from the church and I promised to return it to her.  I figured I could use it as my seat for lunch and then return it.  I got there early and found a nice spot in the shade.  No one noticed what I was sitting on until I got up to leave and started pushing the walker in front of me.  There was an immediate outcry.  "Oh my gosh, what have you done?" "Did you have another hip surgery?"  It didn't help that I was moving a little stiffly when I first stood up.  It wasn't a very comfortable seat.  I hastily explained that I was simply returning the walker for a friend and everyone laughed.  It's nice to know, though, that people cared enough to ask.  A little sympathy, even misplaced, never hurts.