Broken Lives Matter

Merry Christmas, Lovelies! Please pay no mind to the link I posted (or the meme, if it ever appears); it's further evidence of my technological shortcomings:) That is, I did not mean to share it on this blog! You all know I'm a loyal Christian, but I don't intend to make this blog a platform for evangelism! There are plenty of other opportunities for that in this broken world, particularly these days. And speaking of "these days"--I'm writing to you on an off day because, #1, in my brilliantly scattered brain, writing a meaningful blog that others might enjoy keeps being shuffled to the back of the line of things on my plate during this holiday season, and #2, I don't want to miss my weekly opportunity to speak out, and I believe I just might, if I wait any longer this week. Besides, I've just come from church, and the time I spend in that sanctuary of peace (for me) invariably inspires--so afterwards is an ideal time to spread my own message! T...

The bus line. What can I say? It only goes just so far:( Then non-drivers have to do some fancy maneuvering to create a back up plan that will take them where they need to go! Especially if you prefer a flip phone and have not given in to the world wide craze of Ubers and Lyfts. But thankfully, in this season of gratitude, there are still cabs in the city. Yes, Amelia, there IS a Santa Claus:) Or at least somebody who watches over me and makes sure I'm doing okay. Coming home from my "holiday" frivolity, it was dark and cool, though not icy cold thank God, and not snowing like a thick, heavy, endless lace curtain was continuously being dropped over everything-as in past years. But I had just spent a long evening on the train, and I was in no mood to walk myself to my apartment, which I could possibly have done, in the day time. Hark the Herald cab company! I've had the number programmed into my phone for the longest time, and with one call, they were at the train s...

I almost forgot again! Shame on me. But you know, for a change it's been a good day:) All week I've been suffering from pretty intense post-adventure depression, just wandering around my little apartment, not wanting to participate in anything, scoffing at the Christmas commercials on TV, wishing I was still surrounded by family...or at least that I still had things I HAD to get done that day, as opposed to only things I could easily put off until tomorrow. This can be just as disabling as any physical impairment! Like one of my good friends from church and other groups always reminds me--"not all disabilities are visible." Well there you are, and one of the major problems with society. We have to flash our disabilities in front of people in order for them to get the attention they deserve, yet it's the LAST thing we want to do! What about getting jobs? I've all but given up on that possibility, thanks to the necessity of my walker and the red flag it repres...

Getting out of town for a little bit! My train leaves WELL before the sun comes up tomorrow, and then I hear it's supposed to rain all weekend:( Boo. Well fortunately I'll be spending most of the time in a barrier-free, mostly-accessible hotel thanks to the generosity of family and strangers, so I'm happy:) This entry is a bit late today, it's true, but if it's any consolation, I had an anxious feeling in my stomach this afternoon! Like my subconscious mind KNEW I should be blogging, but my conscious mind just hadn't caught up yet. So I'm writing from the library basement again; they have the printer I needed to get my ticket, and they too are barrier free and even MORE accessible than the hotel:) So of course I'm here, and of course I don't mind that I had to walk here from my place; the fresh air was very nice after a whole day inside doing last minute things before travel. And now a word on public travel. As much as I've complained about i...

Happy Early Thanksgiving, Lovelies! Since I've started writing only on Thursdays, but tomorrow is a holiday, I'm treating us all to an early entry to make the separation easier:) Tonight the concept of inclusion has come to mind. And actually, of course, it's not JUST tonight; it's all the time. Any time I see evidence of somebody with mental or physical challenges being passed over, as I was, and continue to be. Because of my misadventures in job application, I've found that it's not only unfair to expect EMPLOYERS to hire somebody over-qualified and under-experienced, who is also limited in physical abilities on the job. It is also unfair to expect MYSELF to meet the demands of any kind of position that would require a lot of physical activity and/or labor--even if it's just being on my feet all day; my body is simply unable to safely sustain that kind of work. So..as a consequence I'm left out of the workaday world:( And I am left out of the e...

Lately it has become an oft-echoed sentiment: "So Happy It's Thursday!" with the capitalized initials spelling a word I simply will not declare on this blog. But today I am one of those who happily shouts it. My computer was brought back from the (for all intents and purposes) dead Tuesday, and today I had an appointment with "Prosthetics and Orthotics" that has left me positively buoyant:) For one thing, it was earlier than I'm usually up and about, meaning I got back to my place pretty early, and with plenty of time to continue my original plan for the day, with absolutely no interference from an "AFO" (ankle-foot othosis/leg brace to supposedly correct my supposedly incorrect walking stride). I had a surprisingly lengthy consultation with one of the orthotics specialists, trying on one of the kinds of AFOs that the physical therapists prescribed, and walking around in it to see how it suited me. Which--not surprisingly--was not very well at ...

My computer is going to be picked up at "repaired"--if possible--on Tuesday. I finally bit the bullet and made the call yesterday, foregoing the free walk-in that would have come with two bus rides, in favor of not having to go anywhere in the Winter Weather that's forecast for my area from now until at least the middle of next week. So we'll see how that goes. I have to tell you, I am quite dismayed by how the recent news--showing an unmitigated disrespect for human life--bodes for the disabled community in these coldest, hardest months of the year:( In fact the weather doesn't seem to be providing ANY insulation from malice. It used to be that during the winter we could all rest at least a little bit easy, knowing that a fair number of would-be law-breakers would opt to stay home in the warmth and not participate in any nonsense while there was ice and snow. Now, they're just moving their operations to the warmer climes! A mass shooting at a synagogue in P...

It's been so long; I missed writing! Alas, I haven't gotten around to getting my computer issues resolved yet:( It involves me taking one bus to the transit center then another bus from there, computer in tow and I'm not looking forward to it! Especially not since I rode the City bus for the first time in a long time today, and while the experience was hardly any worse than it usually is, it wasn't..pleasant. And just an aside--NOBODY likes it. Some people might think those who ride it do so because they prefer it--NOPE! It's just a means to an end. I avoid it if there's any way I possibly can. Not having a computer at my convenience has kind of depressed me, I guess. I've spent much of the last two weeks on the couch watching Netflix. And I'm writing this entry in the public library's bank of computers which is also an experience I try not to have too often. I love having the option (one librarian responded to my saying this out loud with 'we ...

Hello! Just to let you know, my computer had been giving me many problems, and I thought I was clever enough to solve them on my own. Turns out I most certainly am NOT tech savvy in that way, so the blog is going to have to be on the back burner for the foreseeable future. When I DO get things sorted out again, I'm thinking about a "sea change" in terms of brokenlivesmatter. Although I've gotten lots of positive feedback and comments from supportive friends about every single little blurb I put up, I'm going to try a little experiment and only update on Thursdays from then on. Of course when my computer is repaired or replaced, I will remind everybody of the program change. But consider this a pre-change notice:) This blog will soon be just on Thursdays, and until then, the blog will be down while I get the computer looked at. Thanks everybody for your understanding and continued support! Amelia

The issue of being stared at is on my mind. Twice today, in a relatively short period of time, I encountered young people who didn't seem to know how to speak to me. I wasn't speaking any differently than I would to anybody else. But they had a look that clearly (I felt) communicated that they were uncomfortable being addressed BY me-- kind of like a deer in the headlights. Both of these people were younger than I, probably by a decent margin. But I really don't see how that excuses them from "social grace class", so to speak. I mean, once upon a time it was stressed CONTINUOUSLY by guiding adults that it is rude to stare. And mumbling something in response to a question is not the way any young person should be taught to carry himself. I use the masculine pronoun here, but I was taught (apparently the '80s are the Dark Ages now, by comparison to this generation) that "he" is acceptable as a reference to either gender. I don't think it's ...

Maybe for my birthday DAY, I'll treat myself to this: https://twitter.com/DisVisibility/status/1048184297490763776

I just want to thank the friends and family who have donated to my birthday fundraiser! For those not on Facebook or who just haven't seen it, for my birthday this year I've started a fundraiser for the Hydrocephalus Association, and the results have been wonderful:) We've far exceeded my (intentionally low-balled) original goal, and there are still two weeks! I'm very proud of it, and it has taught me a lot about human nature, specifically among those in my town. People WANT to be generous and giving if they can, in whatever way they can. The problem is that of course, especially for things like Hydrocephalus, a condition few have heard of and few fully understand, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW! But given the opportunity and a little publicity, plus the advantage of knowing me in real life...look at the response! It's such a shame to me that just because people don't see enough ads for some specific disease or disorder, their dollars don't go there. I can...

Hello Lovelies! Had my first physical therapy session yesterday, and I'm very excited about the way it went. The only thing was that the appointment was both emotionally tiring as WELL as physically taxing (I hope I'm not the only one who's felt this way), so rather than dutifully update my readers on how things are in my world yesterday--I took an epic nap. Back on track today though! The exercises the therapist gave me are just tiring enough, though not too much so. And after I do them, my ankles feel more "stretched out" and flexible, which was one of the goals I set during my initial visit! Oh those Mary Free Bed (different-sounding name, excellent facility) doctors:) I'm quite encouraged by yesterday's visit that I'll actually achieve lasting results out of this truncated version of the original several week prescription. And THAT, my friends, is thrilling:) And at first, let me tell you that I surely did not feel like I even deserved to be...

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