I've never had strong feelings about getting older. The inexplicable workings of my mind make my age tick up as of January 1, so by the time my birthday rolls around, I've already had ten months to get used to a new number. (It just occurred to me that my brain is only in sync … Continue reading A Happy Birthday
To know me is to know that I’m pretty vocally anti-hug. Well, not anti-hug, exactly: more like pro-choice, touch-wise. If I offer you a hug, it’s because I genuinely want one. If I don’t, or if I politely but firmly decline an embrace, it’s not personal. This is my thing, not yours. I instinctively shudder … Continue reading Touched
Well, it’s here. At approximately 1:13 PM last Thursday afternoon, my new power chair rolled into my apartment and forever changed my life. This might seem a gross exaggeration, but if you saw the smile that foolishly flashes across my face at the mere thought of my partner in mobility, you’d know that I'm not … Continue reading My Other Significant Other
Months ago, I was assessed and approved for a power wheelchair and rushed to share the good news. Then came the "waiting for funding to go through" stage—never fun, especially if, like me, you're impatient and eager to take on the world atop your fancy new ride. During this middle period, the chair's made scattered … Continue reading Somewhere to Go, Someone to Be
Last Tuesday, I was working on a forthcoming post while on the subway en route to a foot-Botox appointment. It was my second time-consuming-but-boring obligation of the afternoon, and the day had been otherwise busy, leaving me with little time to write or do other things I find more fulfilling and rewarding than running errands … Continue reading Reverse Aging? (Bye, Botox!)
Here’s the second in what’ll likely be a series of posts about the trip I just took because I went on a week-long vacation in a different country, guys!!! (Emphasis very much my own.) Until a mere few weeks ago, it’d been many, many years since I’d last graced an airport with my presence, let … Continue reading Wheels Up!
This’ll be a teaser of an update because I want to fully appreciate the present while I’m still here, in North Carolina, in a beach house with people I love. A tropical storm has been pounding the region, but I couldn’t care less because, well, I’m here, in all senses. Physically present. Emotionally present. Neurologically … Continue reading A Perfect Storm
I have a major backlog of recent successes to write about—not a bad problem, I suppose. I also have the Olympics to watch, so I'll humbly accept a gold medal in procrastination until these precious few weeks of obscure sports about which I’m suddenly extremely passionate once every four years are over, at which point … Continue reading Gold-Medal Procrastinator
It’s threatening a thunderstorm, and I was feeling a general sense of disquiet at home as I kept trying to accomplish a task on which I couldn't quite manage to focus. This is a recurrent pattern I’ve noticed in myself: meteorological unrest seems to result in my being a little unsettled and woefully unproductive. Years … Continue reading Yet Another Post about the Public Library
I should begin by stating that I’m not a proponent of maladaptive coping strategies. I am, however, a proponent of working with what you have, so as an irremediable catastrophic thinker, I’ve taken to accepting life’s lemons and doing my best to turn them into a palatable beverage. After all, what’s the worst that could … Continue reading When Catastrophic Thinking Pays Off (Dental Edition)
De Morbo Sacro: Life and/with Epilepsy 