by ST, Apr 2024
Life resumes, might be my life’s resumé, its summary. Daunting things, disquieting things, sometimes dreadful things happen. Sometimes they happen in an instant, sometimes they must be endured for years. But are those the only things that must be got over? Sometimes it’s getting over ourselves, no? Moments or even days of bliss, enthusiasms, euphoric raptures don’t last forever, and as it turns out that’s good. Eventually, ordinary life resumes. Perhaps that seems boring, banal, mundane, humdrum, prosaic. Yet years ago, I found that I need a boring day occasionally—once a week would be preferable. Otherwise, my mind and my body are exhausted.
A summary could read something like: Since over 35 years ago I’ve lived life as a paraplegic (one of those instantaneous daunting changes in life). From my own experience of decades, as well as close connections with neighbors, friends, family members, sometimes just acquaintances, I’ve learned something about the challenges of being disabled in one way or another, or in more than one way at once. And I’ve learned about aging, living solo, even feeling persecuted and other emotional challenges.
But I want to leave this world a better place, leave this life a better person. I have sought an education formally and informally, sought to let life educate me. I have come to believe that every life can enrich my own. I love learning and teaching, the latter perhaps because it teaches me, beside the delight it brings to see others learning. Knowing the delights of learning, one wants to help others find that delight as well. I’ve served as a paid mentor a few years, and a volunteer teacher and presenter many years. I found that being involved with the young (or even the old) guards against rigor mortis of the soul.
Travel as a paraplegic required some research about the accessibility of accommodations, amenities, places to go and things to do. Perhaps the information I was gathering for myself would be useful for others. That was the impetus to develop a Travel site, free and informational only. While most of the information is useful for anyone, I have tried to include details & photos of accessibility, as well as details and photos of landscapes, cityscapes, interesting, artful and historic destinations. Between the travel and the creation and publishing of the posts, it has nearly taken over my life.
Additionally, interest and an invitation to make a presentation about preparing for emergencies led to a blog for that purpose. After making a power point, finding I had more to say, I started that blog to share more and expand on applicable ideas and options. My anticipation was a few months’ posts. Four years of publishing nearly monthly finally expended all I felt I had to say on those matters. One moves on. I was involved in about 4 other blogs: curricula, food & culture studies, poetry & prose I’ve written, my own likes and opinions, and scripture studies.
All good things, and all bad things, come to an end, and life resumes or passes on.
Links to some of my projects:
www.travelpacificnw.com my Travel site
https://www.facebook.com/groups/961059104274911/ travel blog with more frequent posts
https://www.facebook.com/groups/595279157939214 my food blog developed beyond the alphabet, it began to feature holidays and cultures as well
https://emergencyprepideasoptions.wordpress.com/2018/09/11/the-bird-emerges/ emergencies
https://www.learninglab.site/ my curriculum site suffers from time spent on my Travel and food sites, but I’m still in process of consolidating content from years of creating
https://scripturescript.wordpress.com/ the Old Testament
My Stories 