Goings on...

Life certainly has been a bit violent on our planet, hasn't it? The wealthy and highly corruptible that refer to themselves as leaders have been busy here attempting to kill Planned Parenthood, doing nothing about gun control and trying to convince us that praying holds the key to all of our woes.

While I've nothing against prayer as a form of reflection, it certainly does nothing to rid us of those who consistently place political platforms above public safety or silence the vitriolic railings of hatred inspired by fear.

I've placed myself on a media fast because after a certain point, my brain and body just cannot handle anymore. I need regular reminders of the things I love in life these days, scary times notwithstanding.

In the run up to our Thanksgiving holiday, which I spent with sweet friends and their family, I was tired though I did manage to enjoy myself and was, apparently, a lovely guest, according to my hostess.

Last Sunday, she and I made it to the beach, something we had been talking about since before our brief escape to the Carolinas in October to visit her dad. It was a beautiful day weather-wise, and we were able to walk and roll unimpeded down a large portion of the ADA path that runs along the beach front. While some areas were blocked by construction, the pier and others were not. We talked of previous adventures, books, the holidays and the state of the world before stopping for a bite to eat outdoors.

With the sun and breeze at my back, I recalled my last visit to this locale more than two years ago with a former neighbor who was visiting from another State. He would have so enjoyed this day...though my friend knows about his loss, I kept these thoughts to myself, focusing instead on the opportunity to make new memories with someone very much alive whose heart and perspective ground me in the present.

As we strolled past the lifeguard station, I spied some beach wheelchairs at which point my friend inquired as to their availability. There was no fee so I left my chair there, along with contact information, promising to return before they closed for the evening. For those who don't know, a beach wheelchair has oversized solid tires designed to navigate sand and water. The downside is the lack of hand rims which means the chair needs to be pushed by someone else from the back, very much like a large stroller and hardly my idea of being independent.

That aside, my friend and I were able to reach the water's edge, a place I had not been in over six years. Breathing in the salty air and communing with small seabirds with surf at my feet was bittersweet. I thought about a blogger friend in Canada, also gone now, and how she loved any opportunity to be outside and was always encouraging me to find those opportunities for myself.

 Getting outside for wheelchair users is not as easy as it appears and while there are a number of all-terrain options, these are expensive, not covered by insurance and come with unique limitations of their own. Those of us who live in chairs, like those in the bi-pedal world, love to move and enjoy nature but nature is often not accessible if what you roll on is designed for pavement and few of us can afford more than one chair.

I leave you with wishes for the happiest of holidays whatever your tradition may be.