I'M SURE THIS SEEMS LIKE A SMALL ACCOMPLISHMENT 2 ANY1 ELSE, BUT IT WAS HUGE 2 ME! SUN., I GOT A PENCIL OFF A BENCH SUN.—I'VE BEEN DYING 2 SHARE! LET ME EXPLAIN: AT CHURCH, WE SIT IN THE LAST PEW, SO THERE'S THE CHAPEL'S WALKWAY BEHIND US & THUS THERE'S ROOM 4 ME 2 MOVE BEHIND THE PEW. AFTER SACRAMENT, MARK WAS HEADED 2 CLASS IN ANOTHER RM. (THIS WAS AFTER 1 HR. OF 3 HRS. OF CHURCH—WE MEET 12:30-3:30 PM), SO THE KIDS PILED STUFF ON MY LAP, BUT 4GOT A PENCIL ON R PEW, TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE PEW. AS THERE WAS LESS PEOPLE AFTER A WHILE, & NO1 HAD SEEN THE PENCIL, AS R NEXT CLASS STARTED IN THE CHAPEL, I SIDELED ALONG-SIDE THE PEW, AS CLOSE AS I COULD GET, LIFTED MY RT. ARM OVER THE PEW, & LEANED RT. AS MUCH AS I COULD. I DID THIS A FEW TIMES, AS I INCHED MY CHAIR FORWARD TEENY BITS 2 REACH. I FINALLY GOT IT, & ADDED IT 2 THE HUGE PILE THAT WAS STILL THERE! (WHICH AMUSED ME BECAUSE, REALLY, MANY PEOPLE SAW OR SAID HI 2 ME ME, BUT NO1 OFFERED 2 HELP ME—DID THEY EXPECT ME 2 REACH THE BAG BEHIND ME & PUT IT AWAY?) I FINALLY COULD STATE THE OBVIOUS (HELP ME!) WHEN A FRIEND SAT BY ME AT AROUND 2:30.

HOWEVER, THIS DIDN'T BOTHER ME. I ACCOMPLISH THINGS BY BEING INDEPENDENT. I MAY BE PAINFULLY SLOW THE 1ST TIME, BUT THAT'S PART OF LEARNING. BEING ALONE, OR IN THIS INSTANCE, IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE INSTINCT 2 HELP ME & I DON'T GIVE UP AS EASILY & WANT HELP. HAVE U SEEN THIS POST? IT SHOWS THE SAME NEED 4 INDEPENDENCE:

NOW 2 BRAG-I WAS PROUD, BUT HAVEN'T SHARED! YESTERDAY, I WORE A SWEATER. WHEN I SIGNED, IT TENDED 2 COVER MY HAND (LIKE COVERING YOUR MOUTH), SO IT WAS ROLLED BACK. LAST NIGHT, R FAM. SAW A MOVIE. I WAS FREEZING COLD IN THE THEATER-MY SWEATER HELPED IMMINSCILY-BUT I KEPT IT ROLLED UP 2 EAT POPCORN. BUT WHEN I WAS DONE EATING, 4 WARMTH, I WANTED MY HAND IN MY SLEEVE; BUT HOW COULD I QUIETLY GET MARK'S ATTENTION & SIGN IN THE DARK 2 UNROLL MY SLEEVE? I DECIDED I COULDN'T, SO USING MY ARMREST & MY JOYSTICK ON MY CHAIR (WHICH I OFTEN USE 2 TURN THE 2 RINGS ON MY RT. HAND), I DID IT! I WAS IN DISBELIEF!
I AM INCAPABLE OF MANY THINGS. U'D BE SURPRISED WHAT I CAN DO, & AS MY KIDS GROW UP, I CAN DO MORE. IT CAN BE A NICE BREAK WHEN MY CAREGIVER WAITS ON ME HAND & FOOT. HOWEVER, MARK HAS A LIFE–& SO I CAN BE ALONE. THAT CAUSEES ME 2 CHALLLENGE MYSELF & BE CREATIVE. 4 EX., MARK WAS HERE, BUT THOUGH I COULD QUICKLY GET MARK'S ATTENTION & HAVE AN EASIER TIME, I DECIDED 2 TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BEING ALONE: I WAS TIRED OF WAITING 2 C SOME CDS ON MY COMP., SO I LEARNED 2 DO IT MYSELF! ANOTHER TIME, I LEARNED 2 USE MY KEYBOARD AS A WEIGHT, 2 GET KLEENEX OUT 2 WIPE MY NOSE. IT'S TONS FASTER 2 CLOSE A CD DRAWER ON MY COMP., SWITCH A LT. SWITCH, OR OPEN MY ELEVATOR DOOR IF SOME1 ELSE DOES IT-SOMETIMES MARK DOES. BUT I LIKE 2 TRY
SOMETIMES -THESE R THINGS I CAN DO & OTHER THINGS I ONLY LEARN I CAN DO BY CHALLENGING MYSELF.

SOMETIMES THIS IS A HEALTHY DESIRE—WHEN NOTHING ELSE IS AFFECTED (LIKE LEANING OVER 2 PICK UP SOMETHING OR FIX MY CLOTHING, OR RAISING MY CHAIR 2 C IF I CAN C SOMETHING B4 I ASK 4 HELP), BUT SOMETIMES I NEED 2 SWALLOW MY PRIDE & ASK 4 HELP, SO I DON'T BREAK SOMETHING. IT'S A FINE LINE, & I'LL BET MY INDEPENDENCE CAN DRIVE MARK BONKERS SOME DAYS!

ON TUES., I HEARD A BILL WAS BEING DISCUSSED 2 LET LATE PREGNANCY & EARLY RECOVERY WOMEN USE DISABLED PARKING. I HAVE BEEN PREGNANT. I'M NOW DISABLED, AND THOUGH IT'S NOT PASSED, I WAS FURIOUS IT WAS EVEN BEING DISCUSSED! REMEMBER WHEN I WENT 2 A SCHOOL RECITAL & SOME1 PARKED ILLEGALLY IN THE LAST HANDICAPPED PARKING, SO WE HAD 2 GO HOME? THIS MAY SOUND HARSH, BUT I'M SORRY:

IF U CAN WALK, NO MATTER HOW HARD IT IS, UNLESS U R IN PAIN &/OR USING A WALKER,WALK!

IT IS NOT FAIR 2 THOSE OF US WHO NEED THOSE SPACES. THERE R NOT THAT MANY & 2 SHARE THEM?!? IT DOESN'T WORK 2 SAY "IF ONLY 1 SPOT IS LEFT, DON'T USE IT"—WHAT IF 2 DISABLED PEOPLE SUDDENLY APPEAR? SHOULD 1 GO HOME BECAUSE A WALKING PREGNANT WOMAN TOOK THE SPOT SHE WAS ENTITLED 2? SOMETIMES, EVEN CLOSER SPOTS ARE CLOSER THAN HANDICAPPED PARKING!

BACK IN INDY, THERE WAS A MARSH GROCERY STORE THAT SECTIONED HANDICAPPED PARKING AT THE FRONT, BY 1 ENTRANCE. BY THE OTHER ENTRANCE, IN PINK & BLUE, PARKING WAS SECTIONED OFF 4 "PREGNANT & NEW MOTHERS." THERE WAS NO FINE 4 PARKING THERE, YET IT USUALLY WAS RESPECTED. THAT'S WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. I ADMIT, I NEVER HAD A C-SECTION, SO I MAY NOT BE FULLY AWARE OF EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT THOUGH I THOUGHT THE NEW MOM SPACES ROCKED, I ONLY USED THEM ONCE BECAUSE IT WAS HARD WITH 3 SMALL KIDS! BUT I CAN C A MOM WITH 1 NEW BABY USING HANDICAPPED PARKING, NOT BECAUSE SHE NEEDS 2, BUT BECAUSE SHE'S ENTITLED 2 IT! & THEY WON'T CARE IF THEY PARK A LITTLE ON THE HASH MARKS—THEY DON'T USE THEM, & R UNAWARE OF THE COMMON COMPLAINT THAT THEY R ALREADY 2 THIN—