Broken Lives Matter

Here's a link to another blog that I thought many of my readers might enjoy! https://nicoleslearninglab.blogspot.com/2018/07/childrens-books-that-include-characters.html?m=1

Hello Lovelies! So, unfortunately it's not "enabled" for sharing, but I just saw an article on Facebook from FEMPOSITIVE.com that REALLY got my attention. And it got me thinking. Here's the thing: men need changing tables in their public bathrooms. The article tagline (on RoleReboot's Facebook page) was the quote from one man they interviewed, "It's like we don't exist." Hallelujah! Exactly! And remember my earlier post, "What the Big Stall is For"? Well this would make things SO much easier for everyone! Not only would there be an option of using the "big stall" in public bathrooms to change babies out of the way of the general bathroom traffic, it wouldn't be stigmatized as JUST a "woman's job" any more. And the big stall just might be taken more seriously. One of the main problems with the use of the accessible stall in public bathrooms has always been that the Abled thought it was for them. Or they...

Hello! Today's excitement was trying the free Dash bus service, kind of a "baby" of the Rapid City bus service:) I enjoyed it thoroughly! The seats are squishier (for now), the ride is faster, and you don't need to freak out about how many stops there are before you get off, as I too often do with the actual bus. Best of ALL, there's a stop just steps from my place, and it just traverses the city; it doesn't go all over town. AND, I ended up at Bridge Street Market, which is the much-anticipated version of Meijer that came "downtown" that everybody was SO excited about a year or so ago. And it lives up to the hype, let me tell you! The first time I explored this small version of a super-grocery, I couldn't find an "accessible" entrance. On my own, I was freer to find the ramps and easy turns that led exactly where I wanted to go. And I've learned some things: 1.) Always ask the DASH bus driver where the bus stop will be on you...

Spent a lot of time at church today, of course. It's Sunday! Some people would agree with me that Sunday's an obvious day to spend at church. But one reason was to meet with an "ideas committee"--as opposed to um...a conventional committee?...that comes up with ideas for how to improve the lives of disabled congregants. It was a great meeting! I'm proud to be part of the committee, and proud to defer ideas to my OTHER committee within the church. And it's been a wonderful day with the community too; although there WAS another person stretched out on the sidewalk almost as if he owned the street. All I felt was a little guilty to be walking past them to my home. I was so happy with the community today; awash in a local art fest, known as Art Prize, where entrants display their art entries on the street, out among the people, in the glorious sunshine and cool (finally) weather for perusal before voting. I am happy with the yearly (hence forth bi-annually) infl...

The question of food allergies, and whether or not they could be considered a disability, has been heavy on my mind today. I talk about my own atmospheric allergies quite a bit on this blog; does that mean I'm discounting those who can't eat certain foods? Whether or not I am intentionally or subconsciously trying to set myself apart from food allergy sufferers, I DO personally believe that having an allergy to food is a disability. It reminds me of the documentary series "Afflicted", currently on Netflix. The program follows seven people with chronic illnesses that are difficult to diagnose--and while most food allergies CAN be diagnosed, one line from the teaser trailer of this show stands out in my mind as relevant: "It's like being allergic to life." That must be something like how it feels to go through life with food allergies. You have to ask "does this have nuts in it?" or request "no eggs" for EVERYTHING. When's the las...

Just read this article by a woman I follow on a social networking site, and it reminded me of an ongoing struggle of the Disabled: we don't just fight stigma of HAVING a disability, but also the idea that the things that make our lives easier, make us less than everyone else. AND that's considered okay!:( It is NOT okay. Things that make our lives easier or better than yours make us uniquely able. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/20/17791354/products-people-disabilities-sock-slider-banana-slicer-lazy

Best thing I've seen all day. And I've seen a lot of wonderful dogs today:)

I freakin' love this! What I wouldn't have done, back in the day, to have had somebody not afraid to dance with me...:)

Just a quick note: I've felt pretty safe in my little corner of the world since I moved here. Tonight it got very dark very quickly, and I'd just come from a church committee meeting where we discussed safety precautions. In particular we discussed how many MORE "shady characters" there have been swarming around the church lately. My poor church is under siege! You'd think, to hear them tell it. I was so spooked that for the first time ever, I asked a member of the church's outdoor security team to walk me the two or three blocks home:( Then as I got my key out and opened the accessibility door, two guys passed me and one asked me kindly how I was doing! I felt the fist around my heart, telling me to hurry up and get inside, release completely, and I felt safe again. This neighborhood NEVER ceases to amaze me. As "vulnerable times two"--being a woman with a walker--when my head is clear of the alarmists' concerns and I just let what will be,...

Scheduled my intense PT sessions, every other week until well into the Fall, then went to church to volunteer...only to discover I was crashing a funeral!:( Me in a red sun dress; sweltering in the heat. Sheesh! But it's not like I was in among the mourners; I was working in the narthex outside of the sanctuary where the funeral was, so nobody saw me. Plus, since I didn't DARE be seen by everyone in black, grieving the loss of their beloved family member on this hotter-than-can-be-described day, I rushed through my work like the building was on fire! I was secretly delighted to be done so quickly; I practically skipped home (as much as I could), and took advantage of the air conditioning that surrounds me:) Come to think of it, I should have known something was "up" at church the moment I went in. A large amount of cars in the parking lot isn't always the best sign that something's going on; this being a busy area and my church being a busy one, it's n...

Good Evening! Today's big adventure was a very short ride and a thorough examination at a nearby physical therapy facility. I told the therapist that I wanted a more intensive, practical, "refresher" on what I've already learned, 'cause honestly, NOTHING in the world of PT surprises me any more. Not maneuvers they could show me in the therapy room, and definitely not anything they could show me to do at home. Luckily, although today was her last day and I'll most like never see that doctor again, she was exactly on the same page with me, and seemed to almost adjust what she put in her evaluation exercises to get a better understanding of my needs, in order to leave behind a more informative report for the NEXT physical therapist I see. This helped me a lot, since I really had no interest in enduring the 12 weeks of PT prescribed by my general care physician, and am much happier with the idea of cutting that time into a more intensive, bigger bang for my b...

Tried a new grocery store! And I was VERY pleasantly surprised. It's not one of those enormous box super grocery stores with a million billion varieties and quantities of the same thing. BUT, they do have just the right amount of variety to keep the discerning shopper (particularly one on a fixed income) very happy! I first got word that a new "Meijer" was coming to my area last year, and imagined another mile square, can't-find-anything-because-it's-surrounded-by-everything kind of nightmare monstrosity that is, frankly, everywhere in Grand Rapids. And that's where Shipt comes in very handy...for when I want groceries but refuse to trek a mile and a half through God knows how many different items I DON'T need--just for bread. And I'll be back to the Bridge Street Market! It's an ideal place for a single lady in the city to get her sustenance. Not so much for one with a disability--no accessible entrance on the outside except MAYBE through t...

I don't flatter myself that one little entry in one little blog is going to make any difference. But since I've received such positive feedback about this blog, and about speaking my mind...here I go again! Saturday I had to run a few errands in preparation for a swanky fundraiser at the UICA; it's their biggest all year so there is a lot of hype around it and it's always an amazing time. I myself have gone two years in a row! But back to the errands. One was to go to the library and print out another copy of my ticket, since the one I'd just printed got destroyed, in my walker, and I don't have a printer at home. It's been my experience that printer's are not reliable enough to use up more of my tiny apartment's valuable space to keep one around! So I went, and noticed another thing about consideration of the Disabled that doesn't occur to people: blocking the sidewalks. There's a long, sloping ramp to the front door that's a wond...

Here at the library to print something, and sharing a computer station with three other people. Two of those three have wheelchairs! And we're at the very first table in the bank of several, which I think makes a statement. Get out of our way; we deserve the first/most accessible computers JUST as much as you do! It's a far cry from the world outside. where everybody uses the ramps and blocks the sidewalks as if it's more for them than for us. As if WE don't need extra consideration. When that's pretty much our defining characteristic. Also, the library entrance doors are not ADA width--wide enough to allow a wheelchair or a walker access--unless you open both, which is why there is a "Disabled" button that flings both of them wide and holds them open for you. But Ableds are never able to hold both doors, understandably, so they just hold the one and look surprised when I push the button anyway, telling them "thanks anyway" as I walk past. Is ...

I was totally "Amy" today. Actually, I was Amy for the first few decades of my life! And today I told a sweet--but perhaps a little damaged--street person who called to me loudly then engaged me in conversation, that I go by that name. Which I no longer do. But one must never be too trusting, must one?

Those who would kneel for the National Anthem should REALLY, I think, consider those denied the privilege of control over their legs.

Visiting the rolling hills and fresh-smelling air of Fennville today was wonderful. For being out in the middle of nowhere, the restaurant and most of the shops were remarkably accessible! I guess we CAN "have nice things", even out in nature. Then I came home and found this on my news feed, and it made me oh so sad. However, I'm buoyed by Elizabeth Warren's attention to the issue; she's a Titan! And as some one coming at life with two disadvantages: being disabled AND a woman, I am so disappointed that this kind of "back door Ableism" still exists quietly within our government, making it almost impossible for any disabled adults to make life worth living on our own. And I wonder, if I HAD been hired, would I have had to "pull a 14C" and demand equal payment? Food for thought.

I found this simple and to the point but also powerful, this morning. As I struggle a bit with the "Green Monster" of depression/negativity in the wake of disappointment, this meme reminds me to keep my head up. It's not so bad.

Well, my life hasn't changed. Unless there was some miscommunication between me and the interviewers--in which case it would be "on them" to keep calling me UNTIL we got in touch--no new job for me:( Even so, I called THEM today, on the advice of a newish friend, and left a message with one of the interviewers to let me know either way. No word! So I guess that means there's still a chance? But I'm not going to sit by the phone and wait forever. I told her to call my cell phone, and I've made plans to be out tomorrow and Friday. It's a let down, and I will be disappointed with myself for not "nailing it"--for a few days. But there are so many positives! I learned how to walk to the place I would love to work, I learned how NOT to interview, I brushed up on my cover letter and resume skills, found several great new places down town to hang out, and best of all, by the grace of God, I am financially "okay" even without this job that I w...

I've seen this a million times, so I assume we ALL have. But it's just so adorable...

It's quite warm today. As it is every day:( This summer seems endless. Of course winter does too, around March when everything lingers. The snow and ice seem to just circle the block in February, then hit us again in March like they were just off getting supplies:( That doesn't mean I have to like it; this eternal struggle against allergies and the heat and never being able to sleep with my window open...I am so ready for it to be over. Lately it's been even more interesting, with my muscles and joints constantly protesting the "rain" that is allegedly "coming." Most of the time it never does rain, I just suffer for what my body thinks is going to happen! And I've started arguing with myself: should I call my potential employer and ASK if I'm hired? Just to put myself out of my misery? Or is that terribly bad form, and I should just wait 'til tomorrow, when supposedly I will hear from THEM either way? Ah restlessness:( How you love to ...

Just ran into a neighbor and partner who are both pretty different. I've known and liked them since I moved in, but I'm pretty aware that they don't strike others as a "traditional" couple. But I've never given it much thought. They're just my neighbors. And they'll probably be in this building longer than I! But there are those who can't handle "different." Especially in an area of the world that tends to be pretty homogenous and conservative, there are always the bad apples. Somebody acted out against my neighbor, calling him names; and I caught him coming into the building RIGHT after the incident. His silent but equally kind boyfriend rode up on the elevator with us, and at their floor my neighbor held the door and told me how much he appreciated that I've always been nice to him. At the time of course I made light of it, and just told him "I try!" And put it into the back of my mind. It's had time to stew in ...

Another video popped up on my FB feed that made me smile. I guess I just like to believe there's some one out there who loves somebody disabled THAT MUCH:)

What a little sweetie. What an attitude!