In 1968 the Vietnam war was raging, my
older brother was in Vietnam as it raged and I was in my second year
of disability. I pretty much got the lay of the land down as far as
living in a wheelchair in Boise Idaho. Accessibility to anything with
a challenge but I found with a little bit of tenacity and support I
can just about bring up anything. I was 17 and even with partial
quadriplegia I was still quite a handful. Somewhere along the line I
figured I was going to have a normal life as I could pull off.
Granted my parents pretty much felt the same way but I think they're
a bit perplexed on how to do it. I think my parents were overwhelmed
with taking care of me and the rest of the family. I, of course, was
oblivious to the stress and strain I put on the family and pretty
much went on my selfish mid-teen way trying to find my life as a
teenager with a disability.
I had not realized how many folks with
disabilities were running around Idaho at the time. There were enough
that private nonprofit entities had gotten quite a stronghold in the do good business in that area. Easter Seals was a heavy hitter in the doing
good arena. Easter Seals foundation had put together a camp for kids
with disabilities. An actual, fly away from home, camp on a bona fide
lake in northern Idaho, almost too beautiful for eyes to contend
with. The camp of course was called Camp Easter Seals. The private
nonprofit organization rounded up kids with disabilities for two camping sessions during the
summer one for younger kids up to be 16 and then another for 16 to
18-year-olds. The camp was beautifully built on Coeur d'Alene Lake in
Idaho , actually Idaho was on one side of the lake the state of
Washington on the other. The camp would host approximately 70 to 80
campers . The camp was staffed by students from University
of Idaho and Washington State University, the students were from the
Department of physical therapy, occupational therapy and
pre-medicine. The camp had about 14 cabins spread around the
campgrounds. Each cabin was named for the organization of our company
which supported are donated the cabin.
There was only one cabin for people who
used wheelchairs for mobility, just cabin was coed and house the only
washer dryer for the camp.The capital course is flat with a fine
concrete floor perfect for wheelchairs. We were cabin 72 the Kiwanis cabin
and of course I shortened that to the 72nd "K" cabin I
thought the name sounded military. I think I was the oldest kid in
the cabin that summer. I was the only kid would actually been
able-bodied on time. I pretended I hate going to the camp. Actually,
I love going to the camp. We boarded some company aircraft myth was
up to Coeur d'Alene Idaho. For a week we got away from our parents
and family and the restrictive environment of an able-bodied world to
spend seven days with folks that similar challenges and frustrations
and desires. I eventually went three sessions. I was a bit of a bad
boy with the same time a role model. These kids never had a chance to
be badly influenced in their disability lives. The year I was the
oldest person in the cabin I sort of got attached to a young spina
bifida named Worthington or just Worthey. Worthey was a cute little
kid. He carried a transistor radio with him everywhere he went. That
summer I turned them on to the musical piece Classical Gas by Mason
Williams. Worthey was transfixed by this music and everything and I
hear time I hear this song I I think of Worthey. Somewhere, I have an
image of Worthey but couldn't find it for today's post. But I do
have a link to the music video. I lost track of the little kid or the
years. But like to know what happened to him.
No comments:
Post a Comment