Happy Birthday to Me!

My birthday cake only had nine candles this year. I think the only reason I got candles at all was because Ainsley wanted to help me blow them out. Kristen found a lightly use box left over from the twins' birthday party last month.

I'm 35 today.

It was a quiet birthday. I slept a little later than normal this morning. The kids had been up for an hour making cards out of construction paper and stickers. They sang "Happy Birthday" and we had chocolate cake for breakfast together. I normally don't eat breakfast, but I make exception when there is chocolate cake.

I worked until lunchtime, then ate lunch while watching Attack of the Show, which has become my daily retreat into geekdom. I wasn't feeling well, so I took a nap and a rather large poop, both of which helped.

This evening Kristen took me to the Terrapin Cantina, a Mexican Restaurant about 30 minutes up the road.

It was quiet, but important. Today was day one of the next 17 years. I measure my life in blocks of 17 years. The first 17 were lived for my parents. The second 17 were lived for myself. The current 17 will be dedicated to my children.

It isn't arbitrary. Perhaps tomorrow night I'll explain. It's getting late, and I'm trying to digest my Mexican food.

Goodnight,

SunFyre

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Personal Space: an invisible disability

The worst part about being disabled for me may surprise you. In a previous post I invited you to share your thoughts about disability. (See: The Worst Part of Being Disabled)

I face numerous frustrating challenges on a daily basis. I'm constantly dependent on others. I need help bathing and dressing. I can't drive, cook, hold a book or feed myself. I rely on family, employees, technology and the goodwill of others. Some days it's frustrating, but I've learned through experience how to manage all this help.

Other frustrations are attitudinal barriers. Today I live very comfortably and have a high family income. I'm an entrepreneur, but not because of my unquenchable desire to build businesses, but because very few companies would be willing to give me a job. I made the decision more than 15 years ago that I could build a business easier than I could find a job, so that's what I did.

My single biggest frustration however isn't getting the help I need or overco…

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The Worst Part of Being Disabled

The central character of my novel is a wheelchair user. I know that's no big surprise.

It's important to me, however, that I'm able to relate the experience of severe disability to a universal audience. I want to make sure the character expresses his worldview in a powerful way.

For example, you can close your eyes, but that doesn't help you truly understand blindness.

Every so often I hear about some sociology professor who gives everyone a disability for a day. People come up to me and tell me how they learned to understand my limitations and frustrations because they borrowed a wheelchair and went to the mall. If they want to understand my frustrations, they should borrow a wheelchair and go to a job interview.

Whether you have been disabled your entire life, or spent your life in perfect physical condition, I want to get your perceptions on true disability.

What do you feel is the worst part about being disabled? Please be very specific. You can choose any disability, …

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Endangered Gorilla Killed after Child Falls into Habitat

One of this week’s trending topics on Facebook and twitter was a tragic story. A small boy fell into the gorilla habitat at the Cincinnati Zoo. Minutes later the western lowlands gorilla, a critically endangered species, was shot and killed by zoo personnel.
A tragic story has been made even more tragic through misinformation and misguided opinion on social media.
Here are six ways that Facebook and twitter users made the situation worse.
It’s the mother’s fault!
I’m a father of 14-year-old twins, a boy and a girl. I don’t know a single father or mother that has never in their lives lost sight of their three-year-old. I compare it to a trip to Walmart. You’ll see a toddler screaming and a mother completely exasperated, and usually another child being completely ignored. Those of you without children stand in judgment. I know I did. “If that were my child I would…” I’ll let you complete the sentence in condescending judgment.
Parents, however, understand. We’ve all been there. Every …

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SunFyre...words from a seated position

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