working

Working to get veterans and other disabled populations work is more than a full time job. It becomes upsetting when one calls people with questions and the answer continues to be "I don't know" or an issue is continually ignored. People begin to accept that as an acceptable answer. This is a major reason for entrepreneurships as we see on Shark Tank over and over. Why even bother to seek answers when the workers don't know them? There do exist companies, with have similar goals that are willing to collaborate so both parties succeed. This really is something worth pursuing. Joint ventures still do make things happen so there is hope. Take the chance and inquire. A non-local private employment company is willing to 'employ' Infobility ideas so more should happen this week. Giving up is never an option.

teaching and funding

Team River Runner is having an overnight experience for kids with visual impairments. They and their families will be taught to kayak in Juniata County. We are combining with Easter Seal but we must come up with funds since it's noted as a free venture. I was considering the typical donation letter and I looked for possible recipients and I am making some appointments to speak at Rotary Clubs but I really wasn't sold. So I will try offering the "Disability Dialogue" program in exchange for a donation for the KAOS event. Soon I'll be meeting a professional fundraiser so that should help and I will consider a "Movie Night" at a local AM Vets building. Maybe a cookoff of some kind will be interesting... maybe all of the above.

looking back / looking ahead

They say "only look behind if you want to go that way." They also say "you must learn from history in order not to repeat it." So which is it? It's both. To really grasp a concept and to ensure progress you look behind at past mistakes then look ahead. You must learn from past mistakes but don't stay stuck. What happened previously can eliminate what not to do, so analyze it all for a bit. Keep those lessons in mind as you move ahead. Concentrate and focus on what's needed to attain the goal. Everything has its season but seasons are seasonal. They change and that's a good thing. Another strategy for reaching success is to create smaller manageable portions so success is attainable rather than overwhelming. Don't just look at the big picture but see smaller goals along the way; it's all about the journey and make a mental not of things encountered. Once you reach 1 objective, stop and do something nice for yourself then move on to the next goal. This works when transferring your body to another location- bed to the wheelchair; interviewing for jobs, or raising funds.

van

When people admire the fact that I can drive I acknowledge there statement but I sometimes comment "it's great when it works." Well, this is one of those times. Well, it does but it doesn't. I can travel from place to place; however different bells and whistles can go off at any time. It is not just annoying for the horn to blow when I press for the blinker, it can be dangerous. I doubt that the police would be understanding of my situation (they haven't been in the past). At this point I have remained home due to these issues and when I do venture out, I am on one lane roads and do not press my blinkers at all. T his issue could take minutes to fix, hours, or days. At this point I am concerned about getting myself to Allentown. I will drive carefully and hope to heaven that the problem doesn't continue repeatedly while on the highway. Yes I am thrilled to be able to drive but there are times when I have been happier about the skill.

facebook

I almost never visited my site, I never completed the site with my information nor did I use my current last name. Everyone kept talking about facebook, facebook. One day I decided to read and post on Spinal Cord Peer Support. I was amazed by all the different people with their many perspective and topics. Then I decided to try posting my Infobility. Wow- I can reach more people with more comments than I ever saw, just by responding to others posts. They come right to my emails so I know immediately. I feel much more connected. I may actually get somewhere with Infobility. I completed my booklet on "Employer Centered Employment" and I posted this on a site designed just for this topic! Then I found someone in Ohio who wants to be a consultant like me. She has her own ideas but I asked her if we could collaborate. Now I know I'm on my way...not just in Lancaster (my home).

Ideas for Everone

I saw my 3 minutes of Live with Kelly and Ryan Wednesday and noticed a lady in a wheelchair was the chosen dancer for the day. It was really nice to see how far society has come. I went to the "Live" studio one day and sat in the audience. She was pretty and just doing something she probably does regularly. I read a book that gave 50 ideas for improving one's life. Some ideas seemed logical and simple such as "Control Your Clutter" and "Balance your Books" and Get Your Zzz's." Other ideas such as "Just Say No" and "Heart Healthy Eating" are not as easy. Typical ideas can work successfully for people with disabilities also. We need not dwell on our differences, I think others do that and impose their unnecessary concerns on us. Just having fun and "showing up" is all it takes. There's no reason to hesitate doing that dance.

facebbook finally

Perspectives on disability will soon be available because I am creating a facebook page for Infobility. I decided to organize my booklets, add one on employment, and offer presentations to simplify hiring people with disabilities to the workplace. I think there is someone to collaborate with me also. Tomorrow night I am attending a spinal cord injury group in Ephrata so perhaps that will also lead to participants. The plan isn't perfect but it's time to put aside my fears and make this real. The topic needs to be addressed and there is no better time than the present. Actually I have been trying little by little. I will build the plane flying then see where I land.