Becoming/being, disabled?

[Sylvia]

LoL Crankin,

I'm glad you got to experience this. It sounds like you had a lot of fun. This is one of the reasons why I wish the paralympics got more visibility. I think it would really open more people's eyes to the possibilities around them. It should be starting in a few weeks.

[Crankin]

Thanks, Sylvia.
And I am just stating my honest feelings when I say how I would most likely react to a sudden disability in my life. While I am a real proponent of changing your thoughts to change your life, the bottom line is that no amount of "la, la, la, it's all positive and cheery," is going to change the raw emotion I *know* I would experience. Perhaps it's the perspective of age; I am not going to BS the reality of anything.
So, I keep doing everything I can do to stay healthy, thank G-d for the longevity and good genetics in my family, while knowing it can change in an instant.

[Sylvia]

Thanks, Sylvia.
And I am just stating my honest feelings when I say how I would most likely react to a sudden disability in my life. While I am a real proponent of changing your thoughts to change your life, the bottom line is that no amount of "la, la, la, it's all positive and cheery," is going to change the raw emotion I *know* I would experience. Perhaps it's the perspective of age; I am not going to BS the reality of anything.
So, I keep doing everything I can do to stay healthy, thank G-d for the longevity and good genetics in my family, while knowing it can change in an instant.

No I get it, you are being absolutely honest about it and I think you should be. The worst thing to do is bottle it all up and pretend everything is good when it's not.
I don't think you get to a point of being able to fully accept alternate paths until you can accept the loss. The main thing is to not get stuck in the past such that you can't move on.

That said, for some one that finds themselves disabled, and has gotten past the grieving stage, I think an interesting thought experiment is imagining what a cool and exciting life might look like given the current circumstances. Certainly we all know people of varying ages and abilities who have had cool and amazing lives. And what would that look like for you or even me? And then what do we need to do to get there from where we are now. That becomes the next journey. And I'm not going to sugar coat it and pretend like it's all roses from then on, because really no journey is. The main point is not to let the tough times keep you from enjoying the good times. Don't get stuck. And ultimately that gets back to the whole honesty thing.

[salsabike]

Lovely posts, Sylvia, especially this last one. Thanks. And watching the Paralympics is a blast. So many athletes there who can do things I can't do! I used to do my swim workouts at a pool where a young woman with one leg trained. She was an absolutely gorgeous swimmer, poetry in motion. And the foot on her prosthetic leg had a pedicure (red). I always wondered how she did in the games that next year but the pool closed down before I could meet her and ask her name.

[Sylvia]

Lovely posts, Sylvia, especially this last one. Thanks. And watching the Paralympics is a blast. So many athletes there who can do things I can't do! I used to do my swim workouts at a pool where a young woman with one leg trained. She was an absolutely gorgeous swimmer, poetry in motion. And the foot on her prosthetic leg had a pedicure (red). I always wondered how she did in the games that next year but the pool closed down before I could meet her and ask her name.

Thanks salsabike,

I'm a little afraid I may have taken over Pax's thread here. And that wasn't my intention.

I do think that when we are exposed to the possibilities that exist, then maybe we can start to form alternate images of what it means to be disabled, something that is not so limiting.
Something that allows all of us to feel good in our own skin.

[Pax]

Not at all, Sylvia, I wanted to hear other people's thoughts and perspectives. I appreciate you sharing.

[blackhillsbiker]

The hardest thing for me is coming to grips that my mind bites off more than my body can chew. I would love to mountain bike and I miss my flexibility so much! Yoga is painful but necessary. My biking is now paths and trails, not singletrack. My spine can't endure any pounding. I've moved to steel bikes which has been so much better. I almost gave up on drop bars until I found the Rove and had a good fitting. Even so, I know my days on a regular bike are numbered. Hiking is death on my hip. Still, I'm above ground, enjoying the sunshine, and zipping along as best I can.