What did you do today?
When you have Cerebral Palsy, I continually get asked the question “What have you been keeping busy at, lately? Being in a powerchair and having a speech impairment, those who do not know me well, except me to say “oh not much.” Over time, I have learned to transform my frustrations into teachings. Assuming, is a life hack which we are all guilty of at some point-me included, because it is easy.
The following is not written in anger. The goal is to point out some aspects of my life, that the audience may have not thought of in the past.
Waking up early is not easy but has to be done, I have to attend a meeting a two-hour long meeting, I rush home because my helper is leaving soon. After having a quick bite to eat. I have to go grocery shopping. Coming home, thoughts of “my newest article needs to be done” fill my mind. As the article is starting to take shape, the phone rings. It’s the board co-chair, asking if I have time for a quick meeting this evening, because something has come up with one of the volunteer organizations that I help out. The clock is now pointed towards late afternoon. Stress has started to overtake. Due to the fact that, my helper is only here for certain amount of time, now I must juggle. Now I have to prioritize what is most needed. Eating supper and exercising are going to be put on the back burner. Quickly, I wash up and use the washroom and off to the meeting. Instead of having an hour to get my routine done, I have twenty minutes.
Arriving back home, there’s nobody here to help me. To take my mind off my filling bladder, exercising is on tap. I get my daily workout in which is a great feeling. Then I have to complete notes and emails from the evening meeting. With Willpower Media, there are always edits, emails, marketing & promotion to do. The fact that I am an expanding disability advocate, life gets down right hectic. Being a business owner and rural disability advocate, I send a lot of emails and texts. Sending emails a texts, might not sound like something that would take lot of time, but because I type with one finger and email and social media is my main source of communication, it does. Lining up meetings, answering emails and direct messages, lining up events, managing my website, are a few of the aspects that keep me and my advocating growing. Not to mention the, duties that come with running a business obligation and speaking engagements on-stop. At present, I cannot have a regular “9-5 job.” This does not mean that my life is not full.
After a late-night supper, it’s back to the computer to complete my article. The clock is screaming 11:45PM, “GO TO BED!” Morning is going to come quick. I have new staff ordination tomorrow has my mind racing. Ordinations for new staff can be intriguing yet nerve racking. This person does not know me or my routine. It can be difficult to be compassionate and at the same time finding the easiest way to connect with them.
Checking the email one last time, the helper that supposed to come get me out of bed in the morning has emailed saying they’re sick and won’t be able to make it. This has been an average day that went well. Even sitting for ¾ of the day and laying down for the other ¼, I’ve been busy.
It does not matter how, just as long as abled or disabled, as long as people can all go to bed knowing that we pushed our lives to their fullest amount of greatness possible.
Busyness should not be measured in steps, rather in personal productivity!
Alex Lytwyn