Broken Lives Matter

I've had a wonderfully rich morning. Rich, you ask? Well certainly not monetarily (unfortunately). But in terms of teaching me things I didn't know before, and giving me a new perspective. I went to a special tour of a new art exhibit hosted by the art museum I belong to, focused entirely on the fascinating photography of Bangladeshi artists. As a kid I learned that every time you learn something new, you get a wrinkle in your brain. My brain got very "wrinkly" this morning! Some of the photography was a bit disturbing. One image in particular has been featured in magazines, and it brought me very close to tears. I'm sure that's what the photographer hoped would happen! Because at the heart of it, photographs--even the heart-wrenching ones--just make us more aware of what we didn't know before, right? They illuminate a struggle, hardship, tragedy--or a miracle--we weren't aware of. That's what another series of pictures forced on me. The museum...

I had to share this video; she's exactly what I want to be! She's making it clear what the physically disabled go through, and trying to make the world a better place for all of us:)

Good morning! The weather here is gorgeous, if a little hot and muggy. But this is the second day of said conditions, so I'm hoping the rain that's forecast tonight comes harder and more intensely for the two days of build up! Weighing on my mind this morning is the idea of the victim mentality. Many people have it, particularly in the neighborhood where I live. And I'm not just referring to the mindset that the world owes them something. I'm talking about the idea that the world is against us, that we're already beaten by life. And it occurs to me that I must make a conscious effort NOT to allow my blog to sound "whiny". In fact I've made it kind of a personal crusade not to whine myself--often to my own detriment when I let it keep me from asking for help. Let me be clear for the first (and probably not the last) time since re-inventing this blog as a reflecting pool for the daily struggles faced by the Disabled in America. I'm not trying to s...

Waiting on groceries! Thank God so many stores around this nation have finally started acknowledging the struggle of those without transportation! With the busses running again, I could do my own shopping, of course, but in the monstrous heat wave we're experiencing, waiting for the bus at either end of an elongated trip to get a couple groceries that might go bad by the time I finally get them home--doesn't sound like fun:( I'm more than happy to wait at my home for groceries to be delivered from one of the bigger stores. Today I also discovered that my walker (and presumably those of everyone who uses one) puts me at a prime level to get grit and dust from the street blown up into my eyes. Oh the life of a permanent pedestrian! And the only way to avoid the inconvenience would be to give up and be a shut-in. No thank you! I'll take the good with the bad. I praise God that I'm not living on the street, like so many people around my building. They seem to come out...

Happy Memorial Day!! I'm enjoying being "grounded" by a city bus that isn't running today. Of course on principle, I don't begrudge anybody their extra day off. Lord knows we could all use a little rest! But I've found that this decision by the only mode of transportation for some, has created a big stir among those of us with very few options. When I first read the bus line's post on Facebook that they'd be closed for Memorial Day, I commented "Great, not like any of us have places to go that day"...thinking about events within the city that I wouldn't mind going to, or that I might like to get groceries that day--or something. To my surprise, I got a fair amount of replies! From there the conversation just took off. The first reply was "...or jobs they still need to get to." Imagine the trouble. You don't have a car, the bus isn't running, and maybe an Uber or Lyft isn't an option either! So what do you do? As...

Here's another poem of the day! I read it less as a statement of what kind of person the speaker was, than as a call to action. This being Sunday and me being a Christian with a disability, I take that to mean a call to love those who struggle with disabilities of any kind, and help them love themselves. Credo [written in the 1800s] Alfred Kreymborg I sing the will to love: the will that carves the will to live, the will that saps the will to hurt, the will that kills the will to die; the will that made and keeps you warm, the will that points your eyes ahead, the will that makes you give, not get, a give and get that tell us what you are: how much a god, how much a human. I call on you to live the will to love.

I found this an encouraging piece of news...but it's a little disheartening. Like so many other marginalized groups, we the Disabled are only recognized by society if we have ATHLETIC prowess. Those of with beautiful minds, whose strength lies in intelligence, are ignored. I think of 9 year old Anastasia Somoza. Her speech during the 2016 Democratic Convention captivated me. Yet every time I mention her name and aptitude to some one, they stare at me blankly. I do think it's wonderful someone with a disability is gaining national attention for simply being drafted onto a pro football team, I also notice that Shaquem Griffin is older, and also a member of a racial minority. Does that make it more "socially acceptable" to laud his achievements than those of Somoza? Here is the article on Griffin: And here is an article about Somova: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-mink/9-year-old-girl-visits-wh_b_11297566.html This discrepancy exacerbates a unique problem ...

I follow a site called Poets.org; every day I receive a new poem and new insights. Today this one really spoke to me. The poet's information on the piece below reflects that the inspiration for HER was the #MeToo project. I thought how the poem kind of speaks to all who struggle in this world, particularly those who suffer in silence. Because our silence has continued for so long, I thought this shone excellent light on our issues: http://academyofamericanpoets.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/y/6D21B3B3DCFAB8DF/75D3B7B62AB6FF3E33C48669A65BFAC1