For the past few years, it's been the 2 of us hanging out together at the mall or Starbucks or Off-Fifth...pretty much everywhere. That is, when she's not working. We love to go out for breakfast and lunch, too. She eats healthy, so it's always good. Plus, she's really funny. Her sense of humor and easy-going nature endear her to everyone.
But I can't help noticing that she is really protective of me. I love that about her...Like even when there are other people around, she wants to be the one to push me because she's afraid someone else won't do a good job or a safe job...
BB is like that. There's a lot to love about that girl. (We call her BB because she's the baby of the family and apparently we called her Baby Kristin a lot!) Because when she was 11 months old, I asked her her name and she just said, "BB." It stuck. Everyone calls her BB.
BB and me this past Thanksgiving
But let me start from the beginning.
When I first got my chair, 3 years ago, we didn't know what we were doing! Yes, there's a learning curve to this rolling life. So we tried going places we really shouldn't have been...!
...like the time BB was rolling me down a sidewalk outside of the mall and cut the corner a little close. One wheel went into a flower bed with mulch in it and I toppled over!! We laughed until we cried! I'm sure people around us stared in disbelief but we didn't notice because we were too wrapped up in our own laughter! We never really care what other people think anyway.
She learned from that, though. She has never made another 'driving error.'
Once, when my parents came to visit, my mom tried to roll me over a speed bump in a parking lot!! Yeah, that doesn't work... (I'm laughing out loud at the memory of it!) She rolled me back and forth, and back and forth, trying to gain enough momentum to get me up and over that thing...! (My mom is one determined lady and she'd do anything for me) ...but,
It never happened...
We were not going to make it over that bump!!
Which is why, we discovered, they marked a path for rollers with blue stripes...if you know to look for them. At that point in time, I wasn't good about remembering such things. It doesn't take too many experiences like this to learn, though!! So funny!
Rollers are safer on the blue striped path
Recently, my future son-in-law was given the responsibility of being 'in charge' of me for the day. Poor guy. I don't know how he drew the short straw. Apparently there was some kind of secret meeting held behind my back and the next thing I knew, he was my designated driver. This bothered me a little at first. I didn't know Tim that well and pushing me is a bit personal, you know? But, the others were busy with a fitness challenge we were attending and couldn't do it, so he was elected.
This is Tim with my daughter, Kate
I decided to look at it as an opportunity to get to know him better. And it was. I'm glad things worked out the way they did! I wouldn't trade that day for anything.
But, we did not have an easy time of it by any means! He was treated to the full measure of all that it means to be out in public as a roller. We had to cross a major highway, go through gravel, over dirt trails, across a grassy path, into some pot holes, over the hills, along broken sidewalks and past some nasty people in order to be spectators at this event, located in the hills of North Georgia. And that was just to get to the entrance! I held on for dear life as I endured the ride of a lifetime! Not before nor since, have I experienced anything like it. I prayed for Timmy's strength to hold out! I prayed for my chair to hold together and wished for a better suspension and bigger tires!
When we actually arrived at our destination, we couldn't enter. That's right...
It wasn't accessible.
True story. But no one mentioned that before we worked so hard to get there.
See, in order to get to the starting line, he would've had to position me at the top of a very steep grassy hill and let go, which I could've added to my résumé of adrenaline-rushing sports!
Instead, we shrugged our shoulders, dusted ourselves off and parked my chair on a hill just outside the entrance. It had been a long hike from that parking lot to this spot, but we did it. And we weren't moving. Furthermore, we were both still happy to be there.
"I'll be back with some waters and pretzels. Do you need anything else? Are you ok in this spot?"
He had won my respect. He earned it. You can tell a lot about a person by how they push your wheel chair and this guy was speaking volumes.
One of my favorite things is whenever I'm left in no man's land... You know, facing the wall, or facing a rack of clothes up against a wall, while the rest of the group goes on to look around the store! These are rookie mistakes, as I call them. They make me smile. No one does it maliciously. Every single driver makes them, which is why it's good to have a manual chair and not a transport chair. That way I can maneuver myself to where I'd rather be.
My BFF, Suzanne pushed me the entirety of a 5k Race
It isn't only other people who keep me laughing. I've gotten myself into some pretty silly situations without any help at all!
One time, I thought I'd try going through the sand! (Yes, I'm that dense) As you know by now, I love the beach and I didn't know my chair wasn't an ATV, so I thought, 'Why not?'
Well, I found out, of course!!
I had been up on the Bermuda grass at Deerfield Beach, watching the waves, when the bright idea hit me to roll forward and put my feet in the sand!! You guessed it. Instantly stuck! Don't roll your wheel chair into the sand! By the way, you can wheel through Bermuda grass, but not the St. Augustine stuff everywhere else in Florida.
Oh, the details you learn as you go about your life...
Deerfield Beach Boardwalk, Bermuda grass and all!
I'm here all the time!
Keep laughing!
Peace my friends xx
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