Jimpy Days

The Wisdom of Lifes' Experiences.

2006-03-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

The older I get the more firmly I believe in the concept that with age, comes wisdom. Nothing is a better educator than life’s experiences.

I work in a field that constantly requires us to have one eye looking over our shoulder to make sure we are within our bounds legally. It seems as though I’m constantly hearing references to the law, whether it be 504 or the ADA, the two laws that dictate the rights of individuals with disabilities.

Section 504 was signed into law in the early 1970’s, while the ADA took effect in 1990. They are the only laws mandating the civil rights for people with disabilities and are still in their infancy stage when it comes to clarity and inclusion. It will take years of litigation—lawsuits filed by citizens, businesses and agencies—before 504 and the ADA will be fine tuned to the point where disability rights are clear and relatively unquestioned.

Having been injured in 1970, there were no civil rights laws pertaining to disability. I entered into the world of disability during a time when accessibility was granted out of the goodness of someone’s heart, not because the law directed them to do so. And even when 504 did kick in, it only covered those entities that receive Federal financial assistance. Not very comprehensive to say the least. Also, if anyone chose to ignore this law there was no real mechanism for enforcement. No formal procedure for filing a complaint to rectify any alleged illegality; thus the reasoning behind a second law, the ADA.

In today’s world most people are well-versed, or at least well aware of the laws and their interpretation of them. Unfortunately many times this awareness is simply that—awareness. It is not an understanding of the specific intentions, or interpretation of the law.

The students I work with oftentimes do not have a clear understanding of what their real rights are as individuals with disabilities. They assume, sometimes incorrectly, that whenever something is not 100% accessible to them, that laws have been broken and, as a result, threats are often made.

At times, when people threaten lawsuits over what to me are trivial issues that are well outside the boundaries of the laws, I can’t help but reflect on the fact that the accuser oftentimes never lived when there were no laws protecting their rights. They seem to carry their knowledge of the law in their hip pocket—like a gun ready to shoot—throwing it around as if it’s their ticket to solving any accessibility issue that might arise, without really thoroughly understanding scope of the law. When confronted with reality they quickly back down and sometimes walk away like a dog with its tail between its legs.

Oh yes, accurate knowledge is powerful. But the wisdom that comes with experience is far more understanding of the whole picture. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t pretend to know every tidbit of information contained in these laws, but I do have an overall understanding which is usually accurate. With that said, I am grateful for having had the experience of living with the disability without and with civil rights laws for people with disabilities.

Here I sit.

2006-03-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

Living with a severe disability is really not that bad, that is, as long as things are going well. But this past weekend I ran into a situation that made me stare directly at the sometime cruel and harsh reality of my disability. Even though it wasn’t a life-threatening, dangerous or unhealthy situation, it brought to the forefront just how vulnerable I can be.

Saturday evening my wheelchair started acting up. Sometimes my chair would have power, other times it wouldn’t move. All I could do is pray that it would get me through the weekend so that on Monday I might be able to get it fixed, or at least looked at. What was wrong was beyond the ability for someone without specific training to fix.

Sunday morning I woke up to discover that my chair wouldn’t move; not even budge. Nothing I did would rectify the situation. So I was left to the mercy of those living with me to push me manually to wherever I needed to go within the house.

Unfortunately both of the people who live with me were busy all day Sunday. So I had to choose a spot in the house and I felt would be the best for me to sit for potentially the rest of the day. My choice was in my front office next to the phone where, if needed, I could at least access the outside world.

So there I sat, literally unable to move, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. when one of the individuals I live with returned from work. By then, considering I had just spent the last eight hours staring at the photographs that hang on the wall in front of where I was sitting, I wasn’t in the best of moods. It was a true test of my patience, to say the least.

Yes, sometimes living with the disability can be a real pain in the ass.

The Circles of Life.

2006-02-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

15 years old is awfully young to become a C-4 quadriplegic. But sadly to say it is during these younger years of life (16-30) that most traumatic spinal cord injuries occur. The resulting condition of a cervical SCI along with the process of adjusting to your new life is almost incomprehensible to most.

For many years after my injury, when I thought about my future would be like, it was comparable to looking into a foggy crystal ball. I wasn’t able to see much. I just couldn’t seem to grasp what life had in store for me. Would I ever have a job, be able to support myself, own my own home or have a family? There was no clarity to my future or what life had in store for me.

Slowly, after I moved to Arizona and started attending graduate school, the fog that was blocking my vision of the future slowly began to lift. Through a series of unexpected and unplanned events, I happen to stumble upon a career that crystallized my view of where I was going in life.

Since then I’ve been very fortunate. I found a career I love, own a modest and comfortable home and have a fulfilling lifestyle. Having completed almost 24 years in my profession I can honestly say life has been good to me.

Now, as the aging process starts to settle in, I feel as though I am slowly losing control over what direction my life is taking. Ironically, over the past year or so, the fog seems to be creeping back, again slowly beginning to blur the vision of my future.

I’m beginning to wonder how much longer I will be able to endure the rigors of working full-time. How much longer will I be able to maintain my current independent lifestyle? Will I ever be able to afford to retire? How long will my health hold up?

Until recently I never thought seriously about the answers to these questions. Life was good. But as the inevitable tide of age moves in, I again wonder what the future holds for me.

Seems my life as a quad is coming full circle.

Gimp Like Me.

2006-01-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

Everyone, and I mean everyone, should be forced to face some kind of discrimination for at least one year. 365 consecutive days. Maybe that tactic might help eliminate some of the subtle and perhaps even a portion of the blatant oppression many people are forced to put up with.

Believe me, I’ve experienced more than my share of discrimination since joining the ranks of the severely disabled. Some of it intentional, most of it unintentional. But regardless, it hurts just the same.

Do you know what it feels like to be out and about doing your thing and you see people intentionally avoiding you simply because you’re using a wheelchair or perhaps you walk a little differently? It really makes you think. What is it about a severe physical disability that intimidates some people?

I remember reading a book when I was younger titled Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin. Published in 1961, it was about a white man who dies his skin black and then travels through the deep South during the height of the black civil rights movement. He almost lost his life simply because he changed the color of his skin. The discrimination he encountered was outrageous and resulted only because of the color of his skin. Nothing more, nothing less. Why is that?

The human species is by far the most intelligent form of life walking this planet, yet our behavior can be so primitive it’s sickening. We can figure out how to fly a spacecraft to the outer regions of our solar system while at the same time we can’t figure out how to embrace everyone else on our own planet.

Discrimination. Sometimes I just don’t get it!

Is there a Dr. in the house?

2006-01-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

It seems I’m constantly going to doctors appointments. Not because something is wrong, but for regular checkups. You know, basic maintenance. Tuneups!

I have my spinal cord injury doctor, a neurosurgeon, a cardiologist, a pulmonologist and a urologist. Yeah, that’s 5 doctors. And that doesn't count the specialists I'm occasionally referred to. Thankfully they’re all great doctors and good people. And thank God for good health insurance.

But living with a spinal cord injury as severe as mine for almost 36 years, seeing doctors is a necessary evil if you want to stay healthy. The great majority of the time the news I receive from my physicians is good, but on occasion it’s not that great.

Like this past week, I received a call from my urologist. He wanted to explain to me the results of my recent kidney analysis. The news wasn’t that great. As a result, another visit to see him come this Thursday. That will be two visits in two weeks.

And of course I also need to see my cardiologist within the next couple of weeks. I visit her once a month. Have to make sure the ticker is still operating properly.

They’ve drawn blood from me so many times my veins refuse to release any more blood to them, at least without a good fight. At my last appointment, upon seeing me the phlebotomist stated, “better call Virginia.” I guess Virginia is the best vampire in that facility.

I’ve had so many x-rays I’m surprised I don’t glow in the dark.

Regardless, these ventures, although they’re sometimes annoying and really cramp my lifestyle, I follow through with because I want to stay alive and healthy, even if the news isn’t always good. Plus, I do want to enjoy my retirement someday.

One down, 15 to go.

2006-01-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

Today we began the second week of the Spring semester at Arizona State University. One week down, 15 more to go.

The beginning of each semester is always a very busy time for all of us who work at the Disability Resource Center. There are new students to become familiar with along with all of the students returning from previous semesters.

It’s particularly busy this time of the semester simply because all of the students need to arrange whatever accommodations they may need. It’s very likely that your entire day is scheduled with back-to-back appointments with students every half hour. By the end of the day you’re exhausted, just want to go home, have something to eat and relax for a while. Then you repeat that same scenario the every day for the first two weeks at least.

We’re very fortunate in our office to have a staff that is not only excellent at what they do but are also dedicated to the extent that they thrive off of this seemingly craziness. It’s what our careers are all about and it’s probably the most rewarding time of year from a personal standpoint. A close second is commencement.

Pondering my mortality.

2006-01-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

A California man was executed today. Strange thing is, it hardly made the news at all. Usually these events are high-profile in the news. A brief article online was all I saw and by midmorning the article was buried within the MSNBC web page, pretty much unnoticeable. Go figure! Did this individual's life have no worth?

Supposedly the individual was the oldest person ever to be executed. He was also blind, had diabetes, used a wheelchair for his mobility and had other health complications. I wonder if his physical conditions had any effect on the governors refusal to overturn the execution.

Ironically, also in today's news, the Supreme Court of the State of Oregon upheld a ruling legalizing physicians assisted suicide. A topic that brings about emotional debate, not only within our society in general but even more so within the disabled community.

These two incidences got me thinking about my own mortality and inevitable death. I always wonder how people will respond to the news of my death. Will they care? How many people will attend the services? Will they miss me? How long will I be remembered? Why I ponder these thoughts, I can't specifically explain.

Whenever my time comes, I hope those who care about me stay away from commenting on how I am no longer "confined to my chair." I've been to numerous funerals of individuals with severe disabilities or illnesses and such comments seem to be the common mantra. "They're free from their suffering," "free from their chair" or whatever. Gag me with a spoon!

To me such statements trivialize the true value of living a productive life regardless of having a severe disability or illness. Like my life was so terrible. Such a hardship. I am now "better off." Those types of comments are borderline insulting. Luckily I won't be around hear any of them.

All I know is that I do have strong feelings toward both of the issues that were briefly mentioned in the news today.

In regard to the execution in California, a person's life is the one thing no one has a right to mess with. By executing a convicted prisoner (who may have committed murder), we as a society are, in reality, killing someone, and thus no better than the individual executed. I couldn't live with myself if I were the person injecting the lethal drug, initiating the electrical current or responsible for whatever means of execution that is used.

As far as assisted suicide, if a person wants to die, that's their right. And if they are incapacitated to the extent that they may need some assistance, then it's best that the assistance be provided by a physician. Someone who can provide the service in the safest and most comfortable way.

I know there are many people that would probably disagree with my views, but so be it.

Lets all share a common dream.

2006-01-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Arguably Martin Luther King Jr. best represents the concepts held true when it comes to equal rights. But MLK Day is not simply an issue of black-and-white. It's represents the all-encompassing statement that "all men are created equal."

Whether borne out of intention or ignorance, discrimination is discrimination and there's no place for it in today's society.

The celebration of equal rights expands far beyond the oppression of the African-American population. It represents the equality of women, those from all religious beliefs, people with disabilities and our gay/lesbian brothers and sisters. Sadly, the list goes on.

I never truly comprehended the meaning of discrimination until I became a member of a "minority" too often looked down upon. As an individual with a severe disability, I have always granted the benefit of a doubt to those whose behavior is different toward the disabled than it is toward the "normal" population, as originating out of naïveté, not out of a natural or intentional reaction. But the truth of the matter is, too often this unjust behavior has its foundation rooted in, not just a basic lack of understanding but the repulsive fabric of hatred.

How do we change these evil attitudes? I don't have the definitive answer, but celebrating days like today play a vital role in the long term fight to with our world of these repulsive behaviors.

I would hope that we all will ultimately share the vision of "I have a dream."

When it Rains, it Pours.

2006-01-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

This week I had been carpooling to work with my neighbor, who happens to work in the same office I do. Tuesday morning we drive to work as normal, park the van and make our way to our building for the day.

After work we get to the van and it won’t even turn over. The battery is dead as a door nail. Fortunately the Parking and Transit services on campus could come and give us a jumpstart. I had the same thing happen the previous weekend but it was after the van had been sitting for over 10 days without being driven. All I needed was to have a bad battery.

The next morning when we went out to start the van it started right up. Thank God the battery was still good. As usual, we drove over to my neighbor’s house to pick her up. We were right on time but as we drove away we realized we had a flat tire. Luckily her husband was right there to change it.

Two consecutive days and two different problems with my van. It was a little frustrating at the time, with visions of my van meeting servicing, but looking back at it, it was kind of amusing. Ironic might be a better word.

Yeah, when it rains, it pours.This week I had been carpooling to work with my neighbor, who happens to work in the same office I do. Tuesday morning we drive to work as normal, park the van and make our way to our building for the day.

After work we get to the van and it won’t even turn over. The battery is dead as a door nail. Fortunately the Parking and Transit services on campus could come and give us a jumpstart. I had the same thing happen the previous weekend but it was after the van had been sitting for over 10 days without being driven. All I needed was to have a bad battery.

The next morning when we went out to start the van it started right up. Thank God the battery was still good. As usual, we drove over to my neighbor’s house to pick her up. We were right on time but as we drove away we realized we had a flat tire. Luckily her husband was right there to change it.

Two consecutive days and two different problems with my van. It was a little frustrating at the time, with visions of my van meeting servicing, but looking back at it, it was kind of amusing. Ironic might be a better word.

Yeah, when it rains, it pours.

The Wonderful World of Technology.

2006-01-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

Technology! You love it when it's working well, but you curse it when it starts acting strange or stops working at all.

My Internet modem decided to go crazy on me shortly after Christmas. As a result, I've been without any Internet connection for just over a week. That means no e-mail, no balancing my finances, paying bills, reading the newspaper or posting to my blog.

It's amazing how much you realize you depend on your Internet connection until you don't have it.

Like the saying goes, "you don't know what you have till it's gone."

As it turns out I had to buy a new modem. $59 worth. It's a chunk for me to pay but, as I look at it, well worth it in the long run.

Yea , the joy of reading my newspaper again.

How was your day?

2005-12-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

Boy, and I thought Christmas was a bad day. I mean, I was sick, fighting a sore on my lower back, couldn’t leave my house because the door opener for my back door was turned off and, on top of that, I got stuck underneath my counter in the kitchen for three hours when I went to get a drink of water around 6:30 p.m.. Oh yeah, to put icing on the cake I treated my PCA like shit when she arrived to put me to bed. Undoubtedly a result of my frustrations that day.

Well, I think today was even worse.

Over the last week I have spent most of my waking hours redesigning my web site. Redesigning my web site was my goal to complete all of the 10 days I had off during the holidays. Well, when I came to test it this morning I discovered that I made a major mistake and would have to redesign it all over again. All that work down the drain. It was a total failure. What a kick in the -----

I spent about an hour being pissed off and then realized that being angry wasn’t doing any good. So I started the redesign process. Got the basic templates done by the end of the day. Remember, I didn’t get started till around noon.

Looks pretty good. And seeing that I had lunch with my brother, maybe today wasn’t all that bad.

And yes, I did call my PCA and apologize for the way I treated her Christmas night.

I hate bad days!

What temperature is it?

2005-12-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, what's going on here? This afternoon about three o'clock I checked the local television station to see what the temperature was. It was 79.4°!!! What's the deal?

This is December 24, Christmas Eve. It shouldn't be hovering around 80°. I guess that's Christmas in Phoenix.

I've lived here in Phoenix for almost 27 years now and I've NEVER experienced this warm up temperature the day before Christmas. So much for Santa's ability to land.

Regardless, I love it. I moved here for the warm temperatures and they sure have pulled through so far this fall and winter season. So here's to continued warm temperatures!

Y'all have a great Christmas!

It's beginning to look like Christmas.

2005-12-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

I don't remember the last time I put up any Christmas decorations, either inside my house or outside. Putting up Christmas lights etc. is not something that can physically do myself considering my disability. So my house usually goes undecorated.

Even though I do have two people living with me, they are students they usually go home for the holidays and are not really motivated to decorate my house. I can't blame them.

That changed slightly this year. For the first time in probably 15 years I actually have a decorated Christmas tree in my house. Complete with lights and a lot of ornaments, both handmade and purchased.

And it's not an artificial tree either. It's a real one, direct from some Christmas tree Farm I would imagine. Regardless, it stands in the corner of my family room where we all can enjoy it. It's kind of nice. It brings peacefulness to my home at night. Especially when the house lights are dim and the Christmas tree lights are on.

Thanks Jennifer.

Now, if there were only a few presents underneath it.

We did it!

2005-12-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe it but we (my new PCA & myself) made it through the weekend without a hitch. Except for having someone there to “spot” him on his first transfer of me into my wheelchair, he did the complete routine both days without any problems. Except for taking a little longer and my having to explain a little more, both mornings went pretty much as normal.

I can’t believe how fast this guy has caught on. It’s obvious he has had previous experience doing this. A weekend I wasn’t looking forward to turned out to be a highly successful one.

I’ll rest easy the coming weeks (understanding that the holidays are approaching and my other PCA’s want time off) knowing this guy (Denis) is totally capable.

Welcome to my staff Denis! Hopefully this will be a long and enjoyable work relationship for both of us.

Another Blast from the Recent Past.

2005-12-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today, surprisingly, in the mail I received yet another letter from the Nurse Practitioner who worked for the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery on my spinal cord last December 29.

She was the glue that held the neurosurgeon’s office together. Perhaps his medical practice itself. I surprisingly received a letter from her earlier this year that was a response from a “thank you” e-mail I sent to his office for her after my body had stabilized from the surgery. The letter was a complete surprise.

From what she said in her letter, she and her husband are going to be moving to Michigan, specifically Ann Arbor, where they are both originally from. Great for them!

I write this because I am completely taken back by the fact that she has even written me back at all. I was totally taken off guard by her first letter, much more so when I received her second letter today.

In her letter she said that she would like to have lunch with me before she leaves for good, back to Michigan. She said she would call me at my office sometime soon so we can get together for lunch. I can’t wait!

Sandy is a wonderful human being; someone I’ll never forget. She took care of me when the doctor “was away.” Filling his shoes was not an easy task for her, I’m sure. Regardless, she did a great job.

Thank God for great Nurse Practitioners!

Am I getting old?

2005-12-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

Today the commencement ceremonies for the Fall 2005 semester were held here at Arizona State University.

I've been working here at ASU for 20+ years which means this was my 41st commencement. That's not counting the commencement ceremonies held at the end of each summer session. Nor does it include the 6 commencements I experienced while working at the University of Arkansas for three years.

Last night while lying in bed I was pondering the thought that I have experienced so many commencement exercises. That led me to realize that I have been working here at ASU longer than some of my PCA's have been alive.

Does that make me feel old, or what?

My Family.

2005-12-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made some comments about things that might be said after I die, particularly at my funeral. Comments that would be most likely made by my family, close relatives or friends. So I wanted to share with everyone thoughts I have about my family.

This is a photograph of my family that was taken on my 50th birthday. My brothers and sisters, all 8 of them, came out to Tempe, to help me celebrate my birthday.

As a surprise, they installed a Pergo wood floor throughout my house. Something I was totally unaware of at the time.

The love among my family is very unique and something I am very grateful for. God has blessed me with a wonderful family. A family that I attribute all of my success to. If it wasn't for them, I would never be where I am today. Every day I thank God I have had such a wonderful support system in my family. Thank you to each and every one of you.

Mary, Ellen, Arlene, Elizabeth, Joseph, Barbara, Robert Jr., and Greg. I love you all!

Results of an execution?

2005-12-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

A man was executed in California early this morning. 12:35 a.m. MST to be exact. He had spent 24 years on death row.

Now I'm not about to get into the politics or the morals of the death penalty. Nor am I going to reveal my own personal belief. But what I do want to talk a little about is death. Particularly my own.

I've come to realize that sooner or later, probably sooner; I will meet with my own demise. And I oftentimes wonder how I made it this long. But again, that's not the point I'm trying to get at.

After reading many well-written articles about the execution, specifically those referring to the people who protested the execution, I started thinking about how people would react upon hearing of my death. Particularly, what might be said in light of the fact that I have lived the great majority of my life with a severe disability?

Having been to the funerals of other individuals & friends who survived life with their own unique disability, I can just imagine what some well-intentioned people might say.

It was common at those funerals for people to comment that "they are free from their wheelchair now and are walking in heaven," or something to that effect. Man, gag me with a spoon!

I completely understand why people might say that. It makes them feel as though the person is now much better off. But, if you think about it, aren't those comments kind of insulting? It's almost like saying their life must've been so terrible because they had a disability. It focuses on their disability not who they were as a person or what they may have accomplished.

I guess its all part of the grieving process.

I just hope that at my funeral people focus more on the things that I did with my life. I don't want them saying that I am now "free" of those terrible physical restrictions; that I'm in heaven happily walking with my relatives who preceded me. I want them to talk about me as a person, my career, my accomplishments, not me as a person who is now free from his disability.

My disability didn't define me as a person on earth, why should the lack of it define me as a person in heaven.

Training, Urrrg!

2005-12-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we got through the weekend and I think the majority of the training is over. That is, the training of the new PCA I just hired. Actually, he's been coming over for the last three weeks, but only observing. Training is a process where at first you just observe, then slowly begin assisting more and more.

I hate the training period. Normally the process usually takes just a little over an hour but slows down to a crawl during the training process. What regularly takes just over an hour can require over two hours.

Mistakes are made and the trainee seems to fumble with every little thing. Although I feel I'm a patient individual, the training process sure is a test for me. I wake up in the morning and immediately become a teacher, explaining to and guiding the "student" through a process they've never experienced.

I realize that the only way someone is going to learn the routine is to actually do it. You learn from your mistakes as long as you have someone to explain the exact "how's and whys." I have to constantly reinforce those things that are done correctly and patiently explain that mistakes will be made, but that's okay. With time, things will continue to get better and go more smoothly.

Transferring me from my bed to my chair is by far the most difficult part of the entire routine to learn. It requires me to be placed in my chair precisely because that's how I'll be sitting all day. Sitting the little too far to the right or left can be very uncomfortable for me and could cause abnormal pressure on my skin.

Then, once in my chair I'm very particular about my clothes being straight and neat. The first few transfers usually result in my not being positioned anywhere near perfect and my clothes are usually twisted somewhat. Things that we just need to work through together.

I'm always relieved when the routine is over when training. It's extremely challenging having to explain every little detail. Pull this around more. That needs to be a little higher. Don't worry; you're not going to hurt me. And I understand it's as frustrating for the person being trained as it is for me; probably more so because they've never been exposed to it before.

But we got through the weekend and I'm confident that my new employee will do just fine given time. However, the next few weeks will still be challenging.

Fortunately he's willing to learn and understands that he'll be making mistakes along the way. He understands that he'll learn best by doing and perhaps making a few mistakes.

Mainly though, I like him as a person. He genuinely wants to do things right. That's an extremely important factor overall.

How good will he eventually become? Only time will tell.

Finally!!!

2005-12-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

It's been long overdue. At least three months. That's how long I've been trying to hire a new Personal Care Assistant (PCA) to assist with getting me up in the morning on Saturday and Sunday.

I've been fortunate that I have another PCA dedicated enough to work seven days a week, every morning, until I find some relief.

I feel terrible that I have had to take advantage of his generosity for so long but I didn't have any other option. Fortunately I believe that I have finally found the right person to cover these two mornings.

This scenario is a reflection of the sometimes difficult challenge I have finding quality help. Being a PCA isn't a job for just anyone. They have to have at least a basic understanding of the work, be dependable and trustworthy, and possess the qualities of paying attention to detail and listening to and following through with specific instructions.

Over the years I've become more and more selective regarding who I choose to hire. I have to. As I'm aging, I'm discovering that paying more detailed attention to my care is absolutely critical. My skin breaks down easier, I'm not as flexible as I used to be making transfers more difficult, and of course I need to make sure I get to work on time every day and that my appearance is appropriate.

Well, now that I have identified someone who I feel well meet the standards I've set, I need to train them and become used to their handling me in the very personal way that is required. That begins this weekend. There is a lot of personal contact involved not to mention the describing any suspicious markings on my body that could turn into full-blown sores; something that could lie me up in bed for days, even weeks. Building that trust doesn't come overnight and it is a process I find extremely stressful no matter how many times I've gone through it.

Regardless, I feel confident that the individual I have hired will do just fine, given time. When it comes to this adjustment, the learning curve never passes fast enough for me.

Another day at work.

2005-12-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Final exams are a regular part most all Universities. Today was the first day of finals here at Arizona State University. It's interesting watching the students as they walked through the campus during this time of this semester. Some of them seem like they're in a daze, probably intensely focused on the exam they are about to take. Many of the students walk while reading notes, a last-minute cramming session so to speak.

Here at our office, the Disability Resource Center, life is pretty quiet, at least for me. It usually is during finals because students are busy studying. And with all of their coursework behind them there is really no need for them to stop by our office.

Even though it was a relatively mundane day for me today, I did have the privilege of joining the Vice President of Student Affairs for lunch. On occasion, throughout the academic year, the VP will invite five or six staff members to have lunch, supposedly to provide an opportunity to hear their concerns, answer their questions, and engage in a dialogue about what is happening at the University and where we are headed.

During lunch I couldn't help but realize that even though I was sitting across from such a high administrator, and never once felt intimidated. She portrayed herself as genuinely interested in our thoughts and listened intently as we expressed our concerns. I think she had just as many questions for us as we have for her. She is obviously very good at what she does.

As we were leaving the building she took me aside and commented on how good I looked, obviously referring to the many health challenges I had recently endured. I was impressed with her kind words and even more so with the fact that she even knew what had happened. I came away from the event with a different view of this individual. She was a person, just like me in many ways.

What's this?

2005-12-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to begin journaling my life in some way but never have quite figured out how to best do that. Then I visited the blog of Dr. Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University, and realized that this medium might be a good way for me to start tracking my life. I'm hoping it will serve as a motivator for me when it comes to my frequent, or not so frequent postings. I don't, for one minute, think that thousands of people will come flocking to this blog. But, if it helps one person understand me a little better, it will have served its purpose.

With that said, watch for new postings and you never know you might learn.