Augh you might be asking what in the world do adaptive PE, flowers, and buttons have in common. The short answer is me LOL.
Hang on to the edge of your chairs now because this is going to be one of those real exciting blog posts that you surly spent hours awaiting!
First off I could take paragraphs to go into all the things I can no longer do. Or pontificating on all the stuff you can do and I can not or things I can do and you can not. Blah blah blah it is all lip service no? (in this case keyboard hitting).
Seriously, I can not be the only person with MS that finds it highly annoying to read about some great and wonderful accomplishment someone with MS has managed. That really does not cheer me up or make me strive to reach for the the stars. And it has the rebound effect (or is it affect?) of the inevitable comments from family – gee they climbed a mountain with MS so what is the big deal about not wanting to go camping where there is no running water and the closest restroom is 10 campsites down. Obviously you should be able to do that it is not like climbing a mountain you know!
Then again should I really feel bad and guilty or be berated because I can still drive, or make it up the stairs? Is not my personal perspective of suffering good enough. I somehow do not qualify? I have come around to the conclusion/belief that each and every person who overcomes any disability whether judged big or small is busy climbing their own mountains. And these mountains can be akin to pole vaulting over mouse turds to raising a truck over ones head. They all count.
And the above being the lead in to why I really like my adaptive PE class. It is a diverse group that gathers four days a week for an hour in the short bus trailer. I have yet to hear, see, or sense from anyone in the class that someone is better or worse or crazier or sicker than someone else. It is what it is. People who can’t talk use those boxes to communicate, the blind, the wheelchair bound, the mentally disabled, the goofs like me – we all just – well are.
It is the first place I have been with people who are not close friends that when my brain has gone south and it appears I took a stupid pill where I did not feel stupid.
Moving on without a segway into the next topic – I have decided to learn to play wildwood flower on the dulcimer. I have listened to a few renditions of the song. My favorite is June Carters last recording of it. I think I have figured out the notes – well a few might be missing – but I will see. It is not easy to find TAB notation for the old style noter and drone playing. The ones I have found on the net are for chording and finger picking. Big attempt for me as I still have problems with Go Tell Aunt Rhodie LOL But I am gonna give it a try.
Rush hour traffic here in Sacramento is the pits. I really dislike driving in it anymore. But the shop where the Luthier can put the strap buttons on my dulcimers does not even get in till 4:30pm. I am getting smarter here now so give some credit, I know that it would be a bad idea for me to install them even though I have done many over the years on guitars. So I put on my brave face, kissed the dogs goodbye and ventured out onto the evil freeway – at the start of rush hour(s).
I did not get lost, I did not crash, and on the way back home in the peal of the rush I turned on my truck radio. Yes, I made it home and listened to some tunes on the way. Not really that distracting because top speed was about 20 for most of the trip. The dogs were really impressed with the strap buttons and I suspect the fact that I made it home before doggy dinner time had a lot to do with that.
Now I can hold and play my dulcimers without them shooting out off my lap like rockets headed for a crash landing!
So today I just was, I made a goal, and I did something normal.
My first thought when looking at the photo was “outhouse.” My second thought was “Lucky Charms.” Yellow moons! Blue diamonds! Brown turds!
Way to be normal, if only for a little while. 🙂 Your aversion to traffic sounds like my aversion to standing in line at the pharmacy. I avoid it. I put it off. I get confused, impatient, and downright pissed off when I’m in it. Ah, the joys of necessary evils.
Yes doing the everyday normal activities can be frustrating but getting something accomplished is a win.
It is like the outhouse great when you really need it but kind of stinky ha ha
Jan
I had a real pithy comment up towards the beginning of your post, but I forgot it. Went back to read your entry again, but pithy comment did not come back. So sorry.
Darn I so enjoy your pithy comments 😉
The photo brings up a wistful longing for another time in life. Much more character than my Alaskan outhouse had. Does that say Diamond Head?
Yeah, when disabled folks accomplish spectacular things, I think to myself here we go again. It’s a shame really. As I’d love to celebrate that one person’s achievement as an extra-ordinary individual. However, as able-bodies folks have a difficult time grasping the challenges of disability, it’s often more fuel for the fodder of unreasonable expectations. Along with the sparkly images on association web sites. And, along with fellow MS’ers [or other disease label] who do this to each other.
I think all this can lead to expecting people with illnesses to perform at a higher level than able-bodies folks. As if we should be crawling up Everest on our tummies while cheerfully exclaiming, “I have [disease label], but it doesn’t have me!”
Done. Hope it’s ok that I mini-ranted on your blog. Look forward to hearing more dulcimer.
I believe it does kind of a joke. It located on the Independence Trail near Nevada City. It over 4 miles of wheelchair accessible pathways and it is awesome. You can get to waterfalls, cross the converted flumes, and the wildflowers are so beautiful in the spring.
I love mini rants – especially when I agree 😉
Seriously, you are *not* the only person with MS who finds it highly annoying to read about some prodigious accomplishment by someone with MS. It doesn’t cheer me up, either, or make me strive to reach for the the stars. I mean, it’s great that they can do whatever they do. Just don’t expect me to be able to do the same. If I can’t do it, I already feel bad enough. Pestering me to try something I can’t do is not encouraging; it’s just rubbing it in. Or maybe it’s something I can do, I just don’t want to, and it’s nobody else’s business. Maybe I have enough energy to do that thing or something else, but not both, and I choose to do something else. Seriously, don’t get me started!
Wildwood Flower is a classic, and June Carter’s version is the best!
It is frustrating that much of the info put out there always shows some young energetic person smiling like they just love having MS LOL.
I do not think I have seen many brochures, news stories, etc. that show the other side of this s hitty disease.
Yeah June Carters last version is so moving. There is a video on you tube of the filming of it – very moving.
I hope my first attempt will be ok enough that peeps don’t cringe ;-0
Let ’em cringe! Just keep playing.
1) I’m loving these pictures of yours. They’re all kinds of contradictions but very cool. Like lots.
2) Goals rock. Attaining them rocks more.
3) I’m totally with you on the “be inspired by what so and so did” that’s off the scales. I mean, most of us would be really okay with getting through a day and not being depressed, or at odds with someone, or hammered by some bad news, or whatever. It’s not the really big things that matter as much as the fact of the mundane that we all somehow manage to deal with in spite of ourselves, right?
Keep the pics coming. LOVE.
I have been heading for the archives LOL
wah? contradictions? me?
Sometimes I have a hard time getting out of my own way!
I know you have had your share of out house quality moments this year.
Yes we can! (see I do read your blog)
Jan
I’ve been digging around in my archives too. Sometimes it’s just better than trying to have an original thought. LOL
HEY…California Senate passed single payer for CA today. Of course, Arnie will veto it, but….perhaps a new governor won’t?
Hello,
I just read your post at Carnival for MS bloggers and had to stop over to say…I HEAR YOU! Everyone has such odd expectations…either they think I am capable of more, or sometimes less…and that goes for me too, in all honesty. My energy levels shift so wildly from moment to moment. The strangest things seem to zap me of all zip and then I’m pretty much done for the day. I think of all the people with MS who the the MS walk fundraisers…and I can’t imagine walking for more than 15 minutes straight before becoming wiped out. (10 minutes some days, with my cane and slow.)…I used to love hiking so much…who knows, maybe someday I’ll be able to do it again…maybe. Doing the laundry, now there’s an exhausting challenge…do you think doing laundry could work as a fundraiser? Or how about preparing a full meal for one’s family? Also an enormous challenge for me most days. I don’t know. It’s a very odd disease the way it hits everyone so differently. I wonder sometimes if it is really several different diseases that have been lumped together as one.
Well, enjoy your dulcimer! I have a dear friend who is a luthier just outside of Philadelphia. His guitars are just gorgeous if you are ever in the market for one. www . cominsguitars.com
Sorry it took me so long to reply to your comment but err I sort of forgot – not the greatest thing to admit but I did!
My abilities are controlled by my energy levels (or lack thereof). Usually when I get symptom it will sometimes subside a bit but never really goes away. I spend a lot of time figuring out how to get my body to do what it used to do.
I have always thought MS is just a catch all for anything that does not fit somewhere else – but yes I would almost bet on it turning out to be several different diseases or at least variants of one such as cancer has.
Your friend has some fine looking instruments there – sort of way way way out of my price range 🙂
Thank you for reading and I hope you comment again – I am so sorry about not getting back to yours and then forgetting . …
Jan