are you in the gutter too?

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
– Oscar Wilde

The other morning as I was getting in the elevator at work, a man held the door for me and said, “uh oh that doesn’t look happy”…

I simply smiled at him and the elevator whisked me away from him and an awkward conversation that was right around the corner.  It was way too early for that. I needed my skim vanilla latte or Diet Mountain Dew fix first.

As I sat down at my desk and started my day, his comment rattled around in my head.

That doesn’t look happy.

It is really easy to let situations and others tell us how to feel.  I am the first to admit that when I’m sick, my shoes are uncomfortable, days when I can’t do anything right or when those I love are down…I want to hide under a blanket or run away to a warm sandy beach by myself.  

In the end, how we feel is up to us. Every gloomy thing has an angle of sunshine. 

Yes…life with a weak body bites the big one.  Crutches are annoying.  I can’t do all things I want to do.  I have to ask for help.  People stare at me trying to figure me out.  Kids ask me why I have crutches every morning at daycare.  I want to run, jump and feel strong.

But…having AMC has introduced me to the world of doctors, therapist and other people with challenges. I met amazing people that I would have never known.  I am way more perceptive of how others feel. I have tapped into a world of people doing really cool things for others with what they learned from being sick, different, etc.  I learned how to feel okay about needing others. In a weird way I sometimes think that giving them a chance to help me can brighten their day too.

We are all given a deck of cards in life. How we chose to play our hand is up to us. You can dwell on the bad cards or embrace your pair of eights. 

hey baby, let’s go for a spin…

I received an email today from a fellow AMCer looking for adaptive ideas on driving.  It’s tough because we all have different challenges and our symptoms vary. 

It was not a big deal for me when I turned 16 because my hands are bent but my elbows are straight. I have enough reach and strength to steer, shift, etc.  My legs are also strong enough to push the gas/brake without any special gadgets.

However, I’m guessing some of you might use some things to help. I’d love it if you could add a comment on here with some ideas on what has worked for you. 

I love watching Little People, Big World to see all the things they have come up with to drive, reach things and live a normal life. 

The smallest tricks can make life so much easier. {like the 1-up ponytail…WOOT}

Please help!