-
The Mighty Met
If you asked me what I listened to, musically, growing up, I would proudly proclaim, without thinking twice, “oh I loved progressive rock – bands like Rush, Genesis, Yes, ELP, Jethro Tull, Supertramp, and of course Pink Floyd.” I got my first bike when I was 9. I put that bike, a yellow 1975 Schwinn…
-
Merry CHRISmas
An obese, bearded man, dressed head-to-toe in what look like red velvet pajamas with white, faux-fur piping, patent leather boots, and a matching belt with a belt buckle the size of a Buick wrapped around his enormous, bulbous waist parks his wagon propelled by flying mammals on your roof. He manages to squeeze into and…
-
Nursie
There are many dedicated people who, working together, make the elderly, the disabled, and the injured feel safe and “at home” in an assisted living facility. From the director to the driver, everyone pulls on the same oar to meet the needs of residents. Usually. Human nature being what it is, and given we are…
-
Desert Migration
As a 27-year survivor of HIV/AIDS, I remain particularly tuned-in to advancements in the treatment of the disease. Obviously, in all those years, a cure has remained elusive. But huge, almost miraculous, strides have been made rendering it a chronic, manageable disease. I remember the early days of the three-drug regimen which consisted of a…
-
Crawling for Justice
In the winter of 1990, the Congressional legislation to turn a proposed Americans with Disabilities Act into law had stalled in the House Committee on Public Works and Transportation. A lot of the systemic oppression that disabled people faced then (and still in many ways face today) is neglect rather than outright discrimination. If you (or society…
-
Visibility
I was born at the height of the civil rights movement, and in many ways, I am its beneficiary. The freedoms I enjoy as a gay man today are the result of years of social liberalization during my lifetime, a trend that has benefitted women, people of color, the disabled, and a host of other…
-
Orange!
My hometown of Glendale in California, a suburb of Los Angeles known as “the jewel city of the Verdugos,” prides itself on not being a part of “the Valley,” properly named the San Fernando Valley. It sits at the east end of the Valley, and the Verdugo Mountains, foothills of the much larger San Gabriel…
-
A Soapy Reach Around
The relationship between a caregiver and a disabled person can be confusing for one, the other, or both. It takes practice, and patience. As a disabled person who cannot even put on my own shoes without assistance, I am completely dependent on caregivers to get through my day. This can be difficult psychologically, because as…
-
Portable Breakfast
Few things in life give me as much satisfaction, as much joy, as much sheer pleasure as an Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s. Tacos do, but that’s a whole other experience for a whole other time of day. I’m old enough to remember a time before McDonald’s served breakfast – when they didn’t open until 11…
-
Outside
It’s the most wonderful time of the year in the desert! The soul-crushing heat of a Coachella Valley summer has gone, and in its place are gentle days with temperatures tickling the mid-80s; nighttime and early mornings are cold, not the cold my relatives in Alaska endure this time of year, but cold enough for…
Your mileage may vary.