We were in Highland Park for 22 years, so it is going to take a lot of getting used to. The moving truck came for about 2/3 of our stuff the day after Christmas. We moved about 5 miles, to a beautiful 2 bedroom apartment that is much closer to the YMCA, the Public Library, and the train station. I took Froggy to the library and the YMCA late last week. Pictures are coming soon. This morning I walked to the station. The other third? If you are looking for us on the weekends this winter, we are probably at our previous home, doing the hard work of downsizing.
Froggy is having a cold day at the station today. The good news is that I felt well enough to try riding today for the first time in a long time. The jury is still out, whether this upset the apple cart, but so far, so good.
There is one small revolution that has come out of the recent spike. I call it the "tiny bag" revolution. For the first time, since I started here in 2009, I am traveling light. I have cut my necessary gear down to almost nothing. Once I started to do that, I started to feel better. The idea is that I have a sore spot at the base of my spine (probably arthritis) that is exacerbated by 10-15 lbs of gear on my back. There will be more information on Friday. I am going to the CP Clinic at Columbia University for a consult. This is not the complaint department. However,I will admit that it's been rough recently. Nasty, awful spike in back problems.
Once I got enough help that I could think straight ... I've been working on the book proposal. This is the idea: soaring with a deficit is not easy, but it can be awesome! We (meaning me and my friends who stand in this gap) are high powered librarians, who are role models of success, self acceptance, and inclusiveness. With a friend I am drafting a survey of open ended questions, that will explore the experiences of disabled librarians. Respondents will be asked to answer as few or as many questions as they want to. We are doing a survey so everybody gets to weigh in on common themes. If you are reading this, and you would like to help with this project, and have not already contacted me... please reach out. I would love to hear from you. I have been thinking a lot about boundaries recently. The spark was a really challenging PATH train ride. It stopped for a while, and then jerked forward several times. If I had been standing up, I would have been thrown around like a rag doll. Given the diagnosis that I received last winter of Osteoporosis, this is a very serious matter. It took me a while to realize that it was OK to insist on a seat on a train. Now I am reaping the benefits.
Boundaries are about knowing who I am, and what my needs are. Knowing who I am means that I have achieved a new level of acceptance. And for that I am grateful. I passed a traffic jam on the way to the station this morning. Get a bike! It's faster!
Well, it's here! It was a busy summer, reading a couple of good books, and taking care of my family. Doing lots of riding, and picture taking. Now that we have reached September, Froggy will be spending more time at the train station and less time at the Farmer's Market. Along with the rest of "my very crowded dance card," I need to continue to exercise. When gets cold and dark and slippery, the plan is to either use the gym at work, or join a YMCA.
When September comes, my heart is always prepared to take the work to a higher level. I'm actually working right now on a book proposal. The rough plan is for a group of essays written by what I've labeled as "challenged librarians." I've put the call out in lots of places, and around 20 people have stepped forward to help me with this work. Claiming our place as part of the broader scope of this thing called librarianship. Several have said that they don't have time. I can understand that. I 'm not sure I have time either, but it also feels like an act of love that needs to be done. Two other people who came forward are instruction librarians with cerebral palsy, which rocked my world! This comes out of some email conversations I've had recently. I have decided that I would like to edit a book. I am looking for librarians who are....
Clearly we have a terminology problem. One of the ways I describe myself, particularly when networking with other people who have cerebral palsy, is very high functioning. Some days, particularly if you are not very observant, I integrate pretty well with the able-bodied. But follow me around, and you will soon discover levels of pain and fatigue that are difficult, and have a diagnosis. It took me a long time to realize that everyone else who was standing on the PATH train was not experiencing a gym quality work out and 6 out of 10 pain. (I don't stand on the PATH anymore.) There was a poignant moment maybe 8 years ago, when I was working in Newark, NJ. I took a nasty spill on the way down Raymond Boulevard. I'm used to skinned knees, so why was I crying hysterically? Because I was looking straight in the face of something I was having trouble accepting. My spiritual work since then has been to accept that I am ... Different Challenged Handicapped (I've heard we only handicap horses.) Wobbly Stubborn Able to get back up (so far) A Falling Hazard |
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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