As I have shared here before, we are looking for a new home. High school is over, so it's time to move closer to where we work. We spent Sunday afternoon in Valley Stream, NY, and liked it enough that I went looking at train fares over lunch today. The Long Island Railroad is managed by the MTA (the parent agency of the NYC subway). That means that the rules for the disabled discount are the same as the subway. For an ambulatory disability to qualify for a reduced fare, the applicant has to need a cane (or walker etc) all the time. I use a cane when I am outside. I rarely use it indoors unless I am having a really bad day. I am not yet ready for the lifestyle change that full time support would mean. It's mostly about navigating NYC sidewalks safely.I am profoundly aware of two issues that would be reasons to use a cane full time. If I have to go there it means that the chronic pain has gotten a lot worse, and/or the falls have gotten a lot worse (I probably shouldn't brag, but I have been doing very well in the mindfulness department recently.) If either of these things happen, it will probably endanger my livelihood, which is probably why the guidelines are written like that. I recognize that too often I complain about my deficits. Today I need to say that I am grateful that currently I am well enough that I am judged well enough to pay full fare.
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... for a wobbly Instruction Librarian and a senior IT manager / arts administrator (and a visiting twenty something)
Specifications: at least two bedrooms Rental Under an hour from both Chambers Street (Tribeca) and Atlantic Avenue (Brooklyn)! Pet friendly Bicycle friendly (Froggy and friends need storage space). Walkable neighborhood Parks are highly valued First floor is preferred but not essential. No walkups. Smoke free Less than 2 miles from mass transit Quiet My husband and I are looking at moving. We moved into our current apartment in the early 90s, and now that high school is over for our daughter, we are looking closely at shortening our commutes.I don't know whether we truly expect to be in our next apartment for another 20 years, but it really got me thinking. Who do I want to be, 20 years from now?
I know that I really want to continue to be a Three Wheeled Librarian. I am committed to riding my trike. I am committed to continuing to learn, read, and write about adaptive librarianship. I am committed to being an advocate for library services for the disabled. I am committed to whatever I can to do to stay mobile. Any Star Trek fans that are out there, will of course recognize Scotty, from "The Voyage Home." Of course, in the Star Trek universe, all the kinks have been worked out of voice typing. Dragon naturally speaking is imperfect, when it's wrong it can be very wrong. The fact remains, though, that the keyboard is not good for my health.
This being Labor Day, I am filled with a sense of new beginnings, and a renewed determination to do what I can to take care of myself. My chronic pain issues are not catastrophic (and for that I am very, very grateful), but just annoying enough to change my life. So I'm going to take another crack at avoiding keyboards of all sizes as often as possible. Tools can include pencil and paper, and using the voice recognition that is available from the iCloud as often as possible for texting. Frankly, I think the days of the traditional keyboard are numbered. I think this is the next big innovation coming. |
Why three wheels?My name is Robin Brown. This is a picture of my "magic carpet." When I'm at work it's probably parked at the commuter rail station about a mile from my house. I get to ride three wheels because my right leg doesn't like to show up for work. I flunked riding two wheels. Archives
April 2018
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