It's Okay To Go Slow

I was visiting with my buddy, Henscheid and he was talking about how long it took him to get dressed and I was talking about how long it took me to get dressed. I know this does not sound like very stimulating conversation but to me as someone who lives alone and has to dress himself at least four times a week this was riveting information.

Henscheid is a couple years younger than I am. I've written about them before in this blog about how we met at camp Easter seal – – a special camp for kids with disabilities back in the 60s on Cordle Lane Lake in Idaho. Then for a short while one semester we are in the same dormitory at University. Henry has cerebral palsy fairly severe but he lucked out in that he has normal speech. He's got some significant mobility issues. He is always walked with a cane ever since I've known him, even when he was young late teens he walked with a cane. He walked bent and hunched over like an old man but he got around. Henry used assistive technology for a long as I've known him. At University we had grand times cruising around the campus and Southeast boy see in his golf cart. I've always looked up to Henry, who, by the way says he's always looked up to me it's a hard call. But Henry was actually a fairly big guy on campus been quite a leader in student government graduating and ask again a Masters degree and then work in San Francisco with United cerebral palsy are some agency like that. If I had a role model of a person with a disability I think it would be Henry Henscheid.

I always took it for granted that Henry dressed himself. I never had any reason not to believe this. I never really thought about how long it must take Henry to dress. I guess the reason never thought about Henry dressing himself Is because I never really thought about me dressing myself. It seems like after about a year following my accident I was dressing myself totally. I think I was even tie my shoes. It's hard to think back about that period of time and when I really first really began dressing myself but I know early on I was. So, except for a few months following my initial trauma I've always been basically independent.

Following the first stenosis operation where I lost a lot of mobility on my left side I was not able to dress myself. It learned to dress myself in the last two and half years which is kind of weird when I think about it. I'm so glad I've got that skill set back. However, I was in kind of concerned at the length of time it takes me to dress. Again, this is no big deal at this point in my life since I really don't have anyone waiting on me. I can take my time I have certainly trained totrained to take what time I need to complete the task and doing and not be frustrated. But for some reason I did not understand that was okay. I thought I should be concerned about how long it takes but speaking with Henry the other day, the boy once again shed light on my life by exhibiting his. And we shared with me it takes him forever to get dressed but he also indicated that's okay he has the time now. He's basically retired does a little bit of work like me and takes care of his wife to a certain degree is been going through some medical challenges. Like me, Henry's put on some weight as he's gotten older but it may be slower but is still efficient and gets the job done. Henry will always be my hero.Thanks Henry for let me know it's okay to be slow.