See me at "The Mighty"

At the end of last year my first story was posted at The Mighty and I've just realised I forgot to link that here.

Doh.

So here it is now

https://themighty.com/2016/11/my-life-multi-tasking-with-multiple-sclerosis/

Into week 3 of positivity #positive #oneword365

Day 14

mission shaped ministry comes to an end on a high

Mike and Rachel tour the oxford castle

and we end the day with a well earned curry

day 15

I'm with the young people and learning lots

then enjoying time with the church family

before planning home group sessions coming up

busy busy positivity

day 16

there's been resting and chatting

back to choir and singing

and missional praying

My New Superpower: Invisibility

Becoming disabled means accepting a superpower or two.  You know, like x-ray vision, watch out boys; and telepathy, again watch out boys; and spoon bending, I'm not sure who should watch out now.  I however haven't gained any of these famous comic book inspired superpowers, mine is much less exciting; it's invisibility.

Typically I never fancied the superpower of invisibility, or even owning am invisibility cloak; but it's a fact of life now I'm severely sight impaired and using a wheelchair.  I'm invisible.  I can't tell you whether it's the blindness or the wheelchair that makes me invisible but Rachel (wise beyond her years) thinks it's probably just being disabled which does it.

I know what you're thinking. I must be on about the fact that I can't get out of the house much any more so I'm literally invisible in society; and yes there's that great annoyance; but I'm being more abstract in my thinking.  You see I've come to realise that I have become invisible because no one thinks about what it's like to be disabled.

I'm invisible to businesses
I'm invisible to charities
I'm invisible in the media
I'm invisible in social groups
I'm invisible in sports clubs
I'm invisible in music venues
I'm invisible in churches
I'm invisible in government
As well as being invisible in society

I'm not sure what's at the route of this invisibility; it might be lack of awareness or understanding or financial concerns or ignorance or laziness; but whatever it is it has to be brought out into the open and seen for what it is.  It is not funny. It is discrimination!

It makes no business sense to make such a large proportion of society invisible, why not make your premises accessible and positive for disabled people?

It should be something to be ashamed about when you fail to meet the Disability Discrimination Act by not thinking about disabled people and what they need you to do to be made welcome.

Come on society, stop giving me a superpower I don't need.

I'm not invisible!

Buggy vs Wheelchair: You Decide

I'm sure you've seen the news reports about how a wheelchair user "won his case" to have priority in the wheelchair space over buggy's on the buses.  I am sure you might have an opinion about this.  I am sure you're sure I have an opinion about this.  And of course you're right, I do, but it might not be what you're expecting.

My opinion is that we should stop!
Stop judging
Stop pitting parents against disabled people
Stop causing arguments on buses based on lack of facts
Stop distracting everyone from the poor state of provision for wheeled users on public transport

You see there are no winners in the fight between wheelchairs and parents with buggys.  Well, actually, to be more accurate there are winners, but only the lawyers and paid for media.
The debate just doesn't work when you look at it in any detail.  How can you pit a wheelchair user against a mother of twins who are asleep?  How can you pit a disabled toddler in a buggy against an elderly person with a walking frame?  How can you pit a blind man and his guide dog against blind me in my wheelchair against my friend with twins and a toddler?

You can't.
And that's the point.
There is no easy way forward.
But that doesn't mean we give up.

Instead we should start!
Start fighting together for more flexible space on public transport
Start seeing each other as equal members in community
Start working to find solutions that work
Start communicating openly

It shouldn't be either or, it should be more!! 

More buses on busy bus routes
More spaces on all buses for wheeled forms of transport of any sort
More accessible buses on all bus routes, there are some places without low floor buses
More conversations about the rights of everyone in society to be able to get from A to B.

Positivity Continues

I know what you're thinking

She's managed five days positivity

And now she's hit a wall

Well, that is what I expected

(Based on past experience)

But I am still positive 

Here at day 23

I've not written it all down

And of course it's not smooth going

Some days it's only minutes positive

But each day, so far

I've found something to celebrate

Here are the images created

From day 6 onwards

Now I'm heading off

To catch up on images

day 5 #positive #oneword365

today wasn't great

in fact it was shit

but I decided to do

something about it

so I went out in the garden

although it was cold

and took lots of photos

of the frost over the world

it made me feel better

to be creating again

and through it I could see

some detail within

day 4 #positive #oneword365

day four

came as a shock

back to school

hitting the books

my mood suffered

all on my own

but it wasn't that long

until she was back home

art homework was huge

and a bone of contention

but in the end

we avoided excess tension

during the day

I amused myself

with instant pot cooking

and phone calls too

it's good to achieve

these things I can do

despite exhaustion

and sight loss too

day 3 #positive #oneword365

today was the last day

before school starts back

it started with struggling

just to get up

then after breakfast

it was double bass practice

which progressed

to some cool compositions

at lunch came friends

that we don't see enough

an afternoon of joy

and much catching up

days like these

are the stuff of joy

positive days

that should never end

Day 2 #positive #oneday365

Today I got out of the house

It might not seem much

But it's a big deal most days

I completed three tasks

Off my to do list

It's a huge relief

And in between all of this

I've found time to rest

And enjoyed time hanging out

As a family

Thinking Positive #oneword365

This year my aim

After a hard end to last year

Is to think positive

With the hope that it will lead

To feeling positive

Each day

All 365

I'll be finding

The positive

And sharing them