Dear one, Hurting other people is an inevitable part of life. People get hurt for all sorts of reasons. A lot of how others react to us, isn’t about us at all. I think about being hurt fairly, vs being hurt unfairly. Long ago I led a workshop on disability justice at the community where… Read More »
Hello, reader. How’s tricks? Can I tell you what uncomfortable is like? For me, it’s like pain but a little bit less. Like pain that rumbles instead of stabbing. Uncomfortable is distressing. Uncomfortable is feeling wrong in my skin, or feeling like, “Hmm, I can do this for a short time. Then I gotta go.”… Read More »
Hello, reader. How are you doing? The meaning of death is changing for me. I spend more time with the dead than with the living these days, in my heart / imagination / spiritual life. Most of that is time I’m spending with my mom. But my friend Ellie’s memorial is today. Spending time with… Read More »
When I was cooking veg sausages and the oil splattered on my wrist, I started to cry, taking things personally. Yeah it hurt physically, but it also hurt my feelings. Why does the oil have to be mean? What am I doing wrong? Why is the oil mad at me? Of course the oil was… Read More »
Hello, reader. How you doing? I’m so busy, working hard to build a more loving world. And I’m always fat, which is work in and of itself. I’m dodging barrels of harm like Mario in Donkey Kong. Disabled too! It’s been years now I’ve known it’s my destiny to be in the tank brigade. If… Read More »
Long ago when I was married to my ex-husband, he started making waves in his family of origin after decades of being controlled and abused. He was the youngest child and the only boy of all the cousins. As a child he had a remarkable speech delay and other developmental differences. As a young adult… Read More »
Hello, reader. How are you doing? Trying to be responsible, I’m seeking medical care and dental care. I’m trying a new Nurse Practitioner after a bad experience with the last one. Today I’m thinking about what I need from a doctor. I’ve had decades of medical trauma. Previously I’d preferred to be shot, over going… Read More »
“Who’s good at asking for help?” I asked. “I’ve never met anyone who’s good at asking for help.” It was book club yesterday, and my former housemate had just mentioned he’s not good at asking for help, as if most people are. I ask for help pretty often–from Ming just about every day. But from… Read More »
Hello, reader. How are you doing? I’m not really against diagnosis. But sometimes I’m annoyed at how my friends seek diagnosis as validation. Why is the opinion of a doctor so important? You’re a valid person, no matter what a doctor says or doesn’t say. Please don’t give those gatekeeping enforcers more power than they… Read More »
“Hey, dear. Should we let it be Christmas?” I asked Ming. It was two weeks ago, and I was writing at my desk. “Yeah,” Ming said. “Great,” I said. “What does that mean, to let it be Christmas?” Ming asked. “It means we get to listen to Christmas music mostly,” I said. “Oh, ok,” Ming… Read More »