"UP"s & DOWN's
"What lies behind us and what lies before us ~ are tiny matters compared to what lies 'WITHIN US'"! Ralph Waldo Emerson
No one can understand the meaning of "LIFE"
'till you have kissed death on the forehead.
Those who fear death; also fear living life to the fullest,
from a lack of understanding that;
"DEATH" completes the circle.
*****
He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses more;
He who loses faith, loses all.
"THE WIND'S NOT ALWAYS AT OUR
BACK"
~~~
The wind's not always at our back,
the sky is not always blue.
Sometimes we crave the things we lack
and don't know what to do.
***
Sometimes life's an uphill ride,
with mountains we must climb.
At times the river's deep and wide
and crossing takes some time.
***
No one said that life is easy,
there are no guarantees.
So trust the Lord continually
on calm or stormy seas.
***
The challenges we face today,
prepares us for tomorrow.
For faith takes our fears away
and PEACE replaces SORROW.
Author: Unknown
"MY STORY"~~~
It was a long time ago now, almost forever it seems!
I was in the last month of my second tour of duty in Vietnam, and I was so short I had to use a ladder to scale a curb!
I had been in a couple of scrapes during my time in Vietnam, even had a "CHEAP" Purple Heart from a wound that did not send me
home. I had been in a couple of emergency situations and had come through them fairly unscathed, although my machines had not
fared so well.
My luck finally ran out on 2 June 1972
On that day my chopper was taken out by small arms fire and what I suspect was a hit in the engine compartment by a shoulder fired
rocket. The ride down was brief and terrifying, as all such rides are.
I will not go into details, they are not important beyond the fact that the crash left me badly burned,wounded and my back broken.
I was scraped
up after a marathon firefight in the CZ (CrashZone), and spirited away by a courageous medivac crew to a nearby MASH.
By an act of GOD, the injury to my spinal cord was not complete, but it was bad enough that the doctors stateside gave me no
guarantees of ever walking again. I spent 3 full years of hard work and strugling before with the help of braces and crutches I was able
to get about enough to say so.
I continued to improve over the years bit by bit, never giving much mind to the on again off again weakness in my remaining
musclature, and the everpresent fatigue that haunted me. My doctors and I just wrote it off to the injuries and advancing age, and
some other problems that plagued me.
Then one morning, right after a bought of Pneumonia and Pleurisy that had me hospitalized, I woke up and something was dreadfully wrong!
Once again, I had nothing from the waist down, and I had the emberasment of having wet myself.
I was scared silly, I had no Idea what was going
on! This could not be happening again!
Back to Square One!
So here we go again! The struggle continues, One step
foreward-Two steps back
But irregardless, my experiences in Viet-Nam and it's aftermath have given me a will tempered by fire. Every day I draw
a breath and can feel the love of my family and friends is a good one. There's fish to catch and a limitless sky to punch holes in!
WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE!!!!
 |
The Serenity Prayer
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it.
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will.
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
Ettiquette for Non-Wheelchair Users
(Just in case you have ever wondered)
Often people wonder how they should react when they meet
a person who has a disability or is in a wheelchair.
These people are active members of society and have
identites beyond their disability. They should be
included in all aspects of daily life and have common
courtesies extended to them when interacting with them.
A limited understanding of a person's situation may lead
to an embarrassing situation that may have been avoided.
Here are some things for you to keep in mind:
~ It is appropriate to shake hands with a person who
has a disability, even if they have limited use of
their hands or wear an artifical limb.~ ~Speak directly to the person in the wheelchair, not
to someone nearby as if the wheelchair user did not
exist. There's no need to shout or speak
patronisingly. ~
~Ask the wheelchair user if he or she would like
assistance before you offer help. It may not be
needed. If your assistance is needed, then listen or
ask for instructions.~
~ If you are unsure about something, ask the person.
The wheelchair user will best be able to answer any
questions you may have about special needs or
assistive techniques. They more than anyone have a
vested interest in seeing that things go as smoothly
as possible. ~
~If a conversation lasts more than a few minutes,
consider sitting down or kneeling to get yourself on
the same level as the wheelchair user. ~
~Don't use, "I have a friend in a wheelchair..." as a
conversations starter. Think about how many times a
person who uses a wheelchair hears this every day.~
~A wheelchair user will see the wheelchair as being a
part of their own personal body space, so don't lean
on it, rock it, etc. There is a sense of security
there because it allows a person to be mobile and
independent.~
~Don't assume that using a wheelchair is in itself a
tragedy. It's a means of freedom that allows the
user to move about.~
~It is OK to use expressions like "running along"
when speaking to the wheelchair user. It is likely
that they will use similar expressions.~
~Do not discourage children from asking questions
about the wheelchair. Open communication helps
overcome fearful or negative attitudes.~
~When a wheelchair user transfers out of the
wheelchair to a chair, toilet, car or bed, do not
move the wheelchair out of reaching distance.~
~Ignore guide dogs or other service animals. Don't
pet them...they are working.~
"REMEMBER"!
Emphasize the person, NOT the disability!
People are not conditions! Don't label them with the
name of the condition, or as part of a disability group.
We don't say "the cancerous," nor should we say "the
blind."
Member of EASTERN PARALYZED VETERANS ASSN.
click the logo to learn more about EPVA!
Paralyzed Veterans of America
Click here to visit their webpage!
I'm also a "LIFE MEMBER" of D.A.V. (Disabled American Veterans)
Click here to Visit DAV's Hompage!
I'm also a member of "FRIENDS ON WHEELS"
An On-Line social club for Wheelies
To visit our Website,
Click Here!:
MEMBER
National Aliance for the Disabled
HOMEPAGE
MEMBER
of
Click here to go to the Geocities Disabilities Community
&
FRIENDS CIRCLE
Click here
for
E-Zine for for the SCI community
Here is a sight that explains all You ever wanted to know about SCI in layman's terms!
Click here to Visit !
Great resource sight on "Multiple Sclerosis" from a fine lady
&
Fellow MS'r!
Another great resource sight on "MS"!
The National "Multiple Sclerosis Society"
TO INDEX
MIDI: "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" by Kenny Rogers