Empowerment

It’s slowing up as we head into out State’s holiday weekend—which is fine with me. Key staff are taking their vacation time and w are down to a skeleton crew as we get past this holiday season. This time is much like the time between Christmas and New Years, just keeping the doors open and the service flowing.

I am getting excited Dianne is scheduled to fly in tomorrow nigh and I will sure be glad to have her home and we an resume our normal lives but in the mean time I must admit I have done fairly well, being on my own once again. I have had no mishaps(nock on wood). In fact I was speaking with my co-worker Frank, this morning and I realized I had actually become empowered being on my own and taking care of myself. I should probably do something like this more often.

The first couple of years following my accident I actually was doing all kinds of things which empowered and led to my independence. I am surprised now that I have been a parent, how much freedom my parents allowed me. I remember one July day not unlike to day, with clear skies and hit winds blowing-after I had an explosive (teenage) event with my mother. I hitch hiked to Boise from my farm just East of Boise a couple of miles and spent the night on some strangers lawn, across the street from Cindy Larson’s house on Jefferson street. All I was wearing was sleeveless army fatigue shirt and cut offs—as the day had been hot I was laying on the concrete sidewalk just on the other side of a hedge which hid me from the street traffic, and the heat off of the concrete felt good an I was soon asleep only to be awaken chills as the pavement lost the last of the day’s heat. To this day I do not remember how I got Cindy’s attention but I did and she brought me down a blanket for the rest of the night.

There was desert on the bench above out farm. We owned two and half acres, which was undeveloped and covered with sagebrush, rabbits and tick’s. I remember a couple of times I had my mother drop me off and I would spend the night under the stars, by myself playing like I was a major survivalist. I would spend the night and eventually pack up and roll home; again no small feat for a comparably new spinal cord injured teenager.

I wouldn’t dare couldn’t dare do something as silly as this now at my advanced age and weight or maybe I have just done exactly that by dong this camp in/camp out this last week. I got back and forth to work without incident , crashed and reformatted my lap-top hung out with my son and daughter and barbecued. I purchased a wheelchair cushion and just took care of myself. I had a pretty good time.