A Bit of Fun!

Hello Lovelies! My what a long time it's been. What a busy season it's been! For me at least, though I can't speak for everyone. The following link leads to a Facebook reel that reminds me how difficult--nearly impossible--it is for other people in my community to get around, during a season when honestly, with decorations and twinkly lights and familiar carols-sometimes sung in professional choirs by people you know, you REALLY want to get around. Toward that end, I have recently gotten over my own restricting fear of the ride share service. Until about a month and a half ago, I'd been staying away from said service (in all its variations) and using only one set up by my city through the grid bus service--kind of as an after-thought/ADA-mandated provision. This meant that A) they operated on a sliding scale so that the Disabled buying blocks of tickets for them subsidized the city bus service that Able people used, and NOT the service included specifically for the Disabled, B) said service could cut corners where ever and how ever it chose and really only needed to provide the bare minimum of service to people who NEEDED to get to appointments, scheduled meetings, jobs, or just home, meaning C) they were recently bought out by new managers and are now practically useless as far as getting from home to my destination in a timely manner, so I could no longer count on a service that was mine and my fiance's "go-to" service before his death, a mere 12 years ago. This also meant that I had to find another way of getting around, and given my still somewhat viable mobility and financial resources, I had the option of ride share. I'll be honest, the idea of riding in a strange vehicle alone at night (everything I wanted transportation to was after sundown, when socialization really begins for some of us) DID still kind of terrify me. But about 2 months ago there was somewhere I really wanted to be, and I didn't want to go my old route of relying on friends who had to work me into their own schedule, adding even more stress and anxiety to an already uncomfortable situation. So I "did it afraid" as they say, and it paid off. I was completely safe and comfortable the whole time, and I'm never going back to what I used to rely on. Unfortunately it's not always that simple, as the following reel reminded me. What options are available to the wheelchair-bound? My fiance and I were SO lucky to have access to the city service before it lost all accountability, AND have the occassional luxury of transportation in wheelchair van his mom had purchased when Michael was young. Those transports had special seat belts and restraint designed specifically for a wheelchair and its rider. But I know life isn't easy for the physically disabled, and I know THAT first-hand, even if my knowledge of how dificult it can be for a paraplegic is second-hand. I cannot imagine how quadraplegia compounds the difficulty for people like the speaker in the video (the only identifier I could find was the handle, "Dog Enthusists"), unless they had allies. As with all marginalized communities, I've come to realize how invaluable these people are. They may not understand the entirety of a certain group's struggle, or indeed what individuals go through when they face challenges within that community. But come hell or high water, they are there to support them in any way they can, and I know I wouldn't be where I am not without them. Dog Enthusiast's video breaks down each of the members of the cast of "The Office", a once-extremely popular TV show now still in frequent sindication. I may actually be the only American left who can say she's never seen an episode:) But I love the cast, who I've seen in other roles, mostly in movies. And I love this man's take on where each of the office characters would stand on including or aiding the Disabled. My people need our allies. https://www.facebook.com/reel/323270687179887