A Better Version Of Myself

The other night I was texting with my friend LB and she was making, as tactfully as she could, an invitation for me to join her family for Thanksgiving dinner. In my most cynical vein I pretty much told her that I was not interested in that kind of holiday entertainment. There would be family (not my family) lots of little kids and such. I really don't know I had no problems with staying here at the apartment complex over the meal. After all Salvation Army will be serving meals to the folks here who don't go out. It's just tension and stress I don't need for a holiday celebration. I use my best trump card the fact that I have a power chair which makes it almost impossible for me to travel if I don't want to. The buses will probably not be running that they (I have not checked and I do know that the transit authority shuts down on all the major holidays). It's a safe bet. I can't use the card that can get into her apartment because of the power chair. She has a ground-level unit with wheelchair access. I was letting her know I was too cool to go out.

Tonight I just heated up chicken noodle soup and had my half a row of soda crackers and was just settling in to watch the CBS evening news. It's not like I am a big names freak just something to do while eating dinner. The phone rings which is way over in the kitchen and I'm just sitting down in front of the flatscreen. There's no way I can get to the phone before it stops raining so I don't even try. I set down my dinner then roll over the phone, it's Mark Anthony. I did not think there for a long conversation but it turned out to be just that. In short Mark invited me to Thanksgiving dinner with his wife's family. Reference first paragraph I really do not up to doing any major family functionary things for Thanksgiving day. However, Mark seemed pretty insistent on my attending the function. I used by trump card, big power chair no way to get. (According to Mark's father-in-law place is kind of accessible . We've done Thanksgiving there before. When Mark Anthony first presented the offer it was just the parents and Mark and his little family. Then in a weak moment I remembered how Mark Anthony has described these Thanksgiving events in the past. Mark Anthony has little in common with the majority of the family as is I guess many in-laws do in sense Dianne and I are no longer together to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner having the dinner at our house is not an option. Mark admitted to me that having me there would certainly make this Thanksgiving Mark bearable and after that what can I say. I let Mark in a little-known secret which is that I can still get around fairly well with my manual chair and I informed him I would “bite the bullet/take the bullet” for him not to do so would be selfish on my part. Logistics would still be an issue. The question now on the table is that can I negotiate transferring into or out of his vehicle. We're going to have to check that out. It looks like the best time To do a dry run will be Wednesday the night before. This is certainly cutting the operation close. I'm sure I can do this one where the other. I believe I'll be able to handle being in a manual chair for however many hours I must for the family event. After all the hell do I think I am? Why should I be able to dodge the social bullet for Thanksgiving? If I'm able to make the transfers and use the manual chair I don't have an excuse not to participate.

I know I'm marginal at best at being a grandparent and possibly even a parent. I realized again last week that I missed another granddaughters birthday. I just don't do these things will. Now, with Mark Anthony offering Thanksgiving dinner the least I can do is goAnd hopefully be a better version of myself.