Sunday, January 30, 2011
Freedom's Cry Within Us All
When people ask me where the name, Freedom's Cry, comes from I try to think back when I came up with it several years ago and I can't remember the exact thing that caused me to choose it. However, I can tell you what it means and the intention behind it. I believe strongly that God made each and every one of us a unique and special being. We all have talents, gifts, desires, dreams unique to who we are. When we do not fulfill these callings within us we find ourselves bound by limitations that society, family, ourselves would put upon us. Our beings are calling out for freedom to be that which we were born to be, that which is completely and utterly unique and connected with the path of the universe and God's eternal plans for us! FCI, the ministry I'm called to start, is about helping draw out that voice from within that might be bound by physical, emotional or intellectual limitations. When that voice has a place to freely express itself we find ourselves at the beginning of a very exciting adventure where we never know where we will end up but we do know that God will never leave us alone and others are brought beside us on the journey. What do you think about your internal voice?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
A really exhausting second step on this journey!
Today was another, what could be, ordinary day with nothing exciting on the schedule and no big physical requirements. Although I must mention that the sun was breaking through here and there and for those of us in Washington you really look forward to the sun breaks in the middle of winter. I had another late start today, mostly due to allergies because of the enormous amounts of allergens in our carpet (dog, cat, etc.) and I have a hard time breathing. As a result, I can't sleep well or wake up unrested and exhausted just to start the day. Straight away to the espresso machine after the animals have been taken care of.
One thing that I find helps a lot is to get outside and breath fresh air. So I decided I was going to take Sophie, my retiring assistance dog, to the D-O-G P-A-R-K. After all, you can't say the word in front of her or she will know. I had no idea where I was going to end up. I ended up at the Nisqually Nature Reserve located in the southern Puget Sound area. Dogs aren't allowed but since she's my service dog who is assisting me it's OK. Let me make a point of saying that it is not o.k. to let her loose (much to her dismay). She was right next to me as I wheeled myself down the boardwalk in much colder temperature than prepared to face (forgot my gloves). I used my power chair and just hoped it would do the whole mile loop without running out of juice. We saw some beautiful birds up close, including the Great Blue Heron and a little guy busy in the marshes (I am by no means a birder so my identifiers are usually very general like color & size). We met a wonderful mix of people along our trip, including a guy from an area in England near Oxford called Fenland. He's a birder, photographer and meteorologist. Check out his website he has with his wife: http://fenlandbirds.com/Site/Welcome.html .
The situation I have been stressing over went like this: I was talking with a very nice woman about her photography and the reserve, etc. while allowing her to pet Sophie. Two women came from behind me and I heard them ask if it was o.k. to pet Sophie as well so I instructed Sophie to greet them. She was all too much obliged to do so, just waiting for that scratch here and rub there! The two women were very nice and we had a brief conversation about service dogs and, "will I get to keep Sophie after she retires?" Only a couple of minutes later one woman asked me what my affliction was because I just looked 'too healthy'. I was caught off guard and took a moment to think. In the meantime she followed her question with the qualifier, "it's just that I work with a bunch of disabled people..." I sheepishly said, "I'm a below the knee amputee and it's just such a far way to walk all the way around the boardwalk so I'm using my chair."
She made me feel that I had to add a qualifier why I didn't meet her expectation of a disabled person by telling her why I needed my w/c! How dare she ask such a personal question as my medical condition. What gives her the right to know if I was not in a position to share it openly? It's a completely different situation if we are developing a deep conversation and I share it on my own volition. But that didn't occur. Why do people have this image of all people with disabilities have to look a certain way? How many people approached Franklin Roosevelt about his condition? Helen Keller was a beautiful woman and yet she struggled against some of the highest odds to make an impression on this world that will never be forgotten!
What I want to know from people is: what's the difference in looking at a black guy and assuming he is violent and will do harm to you AND looking at a disabled woman and expecting her to be of low education, limited in ability to communicate and not be a creative, productive business woman who can handle a household budget better than millions of able-bodied adults in America?
Below you will see a photo of the Seattle skyline and a couple of pics from the reserve:
One thing that I find helps a lot is to get outside and breath fresh air. So I decided I was going to take Sophie, my retiring assistance dog, to the D-O-G P-A-R-K. After all, you can't say the word in front of her or she will know. I had no idea where I was going to end up. I ended up at the Nisqually Nature Reserve located in the southern Puget Sound area. Dogs aren't allowed but since she's my service dog who is assisting me it's OK. Let me make a point of saying that it is not o.k. to let her loose (much to her dismay). She was right next to me as I wheeled myself down the boardwalk in much colder temperature than prepared to face (forgot my gloves). I used my power chair and just hoped it would do the whole mile loop without running out of juice. We saw some beautiful birds up close, including the Great Blue Heron and a little guy busy in the marshes (I am by no means a birder so my identifiers are usually very general like color & size). We met a wonderful mix of people along our trip, including a guy from an area in England near Oxford called Fenland. He's a birder, photographer and meteorologist. Check out his website he has with his wife: http://fenlandbirds.com/Site/Welcome.html .
The situation I have been stressing over went like this: I was talking with a very nice woman about her photography and the reserve, etc. while allowing her to pet Sophie. Two women came from behind me and I heard them ask if it was o.k. to pet Sophie as well so I instructed Sophie to greet them. She was all too much obliged to do so, just waiting for that scratch here and rub there! The two women were very nice and we had a brief conversation about service dogs and, "will I get to keep Sophie after she retires?" Only a couple of minutes later one woman asked me what my affliction was because I just looked 'too healthy'. I was caught off guard and took a moment to think. In the meantime she followed her question with the qualifier, "it's just that I work with a bunch of disabled people..." I sheepishly said, "I'm a below the knee amputee and it's just such a far way to walk all the way around the boardwalk so I'm using my chair."
She made me feel that I had to add a qualifier why I didn't meet her expectation of a disabled person by telling her why I needed my w/c! How dare she ask such a personal question as my medical condition. What gives her the right to know if I was not in a position to share it openly? It's a completely different situation if we are developing a deep conversation and I share it on my own volition. But that didn't occur. Why do people have this image of all people with disabilities have to look a certain way? How many people approached Franklin Roosevelt about his condition? Helen Keller was a beautiful woman and yet she struggled against some of the highest odds to make an impression on this world that will never be forgotten!
What I want to know from people is: what's the difference in looking at a black guy and assuming he is violent and will do harm to you AND looking at a disabled woman and expecting her to be of low education, limited in ability to communicate and not be a creative, productive business woman who can handle a household budget better than millions of able-bodied adults in America?
Below you will see a photo of the Seattle skyline and a couple of pics from the reserve:
A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with One Small Step
This is my first blog and I'm excited about sharing my journey with those who will listen. Today's first small step is getting this blog off the ground. So much to say. My mind never sleeps and so my journey can often be chaotic and full of lots of extra stuff. It's kind of like packing for a trip. You start with the basic necessities and before you know it you have prepared for every emergency imaginable and you can't even lift the suitcase! That's usually my carry on item. You never know what you might need or want to do when sitting in one spot for many hours in a row! Well, often my process in life gets that way and I must sort through it all and eliminate the extras. This blogging will help me do so and also invite you on my journey as an amputee, woman, wife, business owner and spiritual being. I love feedback so please, please, please share! Until tomorrow!
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