Broken

 Yesterday we heard that the State of Texas will not indict Officer Ellen (at least I have a name) for shooting Jae Friedman in the neck during a mental health check on April 3, 2023. Blind and in a wheelchair because of an above knee amputation which was the result of prisoner medical mismanagement, Jae's killing was condoned as appropriate.  This will never be okay.

I'd say God help us all, but I no longer believe in a higher power.

Wolf

We spent this past weekend in Altoona PA at the SciFi Convention. While Scott and I sold FlexyFriends in the exhibitor hall, Timmy and Rob explored the convention. Between the amazing cosplay and the retro video arcade, the boys were in their element. One of the opportunities presented at the convention included petting and posing with a wolf. Of course Timmy was all over this and began to plan his photo on the first day.

Sunday morning we dressed and headed down to the vendor hall. (I was wearing shorts, which is important for the story.) Knowing that the line gets very long, Timmy and I headed straight to the wolf encounter. Even though we were early, we still had to wait. Because each interaction takes 10 minutes, the line moved slow and there was much time for anticipation.

   

After waiting for nearly an hour, the curtain draws and it is time for us to enter. Timmy's smile is huge and he starts to bop up and down. Out of nowhere, a guy steps right in front of Timmy. I didn't see this dude swoop in but he nearly knocked us over as he elbowed a pathway through our bodies.

Looking ahead he muttered,  "I have a disability, so I'm going to go now. You can wait." 

 

The worker opens the curtain, and the dude saunters right in front of both Timmy and me (holding but not using his cane). The curtain was shut in our face. I was gobsmacked. 

 

The worker smiled, shrugged, and whispered "You understand, he has a disability." 

 

I think she thought we would be okay with it?

 

Before I knew what was coming out of my mouth (that happens to me sometimes), I said while not whispering "If he is going to play the disability card, he damn well better make sure he is going to win." 

 

The dude opens the curtain and glares at me. 

 

So I said it again, in case he didn't hear me the first time from behind the curtain.

 

"If you are going to play the disability card, you need to make sure you are going to win. I have also been standing for almost an hour, which is not easy to do with a single leg. In the hierarchy of disability, I win but I still waited my turn because that is what decent f*cking people do."

( I then extend my prosthetic leg Rockette style and hold it out dramatically for all to see.) 

 

The worker, who quickly claimed she did not see my carbon fiber leg, started to stammer. The dude turned as red as his hat and went back behind the curtain. An individual dressed like Strawberry Shortcake clapped. Spiderman gave me a high five and some anime character I didn't recognize offered me a fist bump. 

 

Our wolf encounter was comped.

 

 

We did it!

 We celebrated Walking Day by signing a contract to purchase our new home!

I am ridiculously excited to check "locate dream home" off our to-do list. Scott and I have spent the past three weeks driving throughout West Virginia in search of our new home. It took us longer than we anticipated, but I can promise that the wait was worth it. This home is amazing!

Signing the contract started a brand new countdown clock. We go to settlement on both homes on or before December 9. Yep, we have less than one month to move.  It's a good thing I've been packing for months!  The next few weeks are sure to be chaotic and frenzied as we pack up two decades and prepare to embark on a new family adventure.

Walking Day!

 Happy Walking Day to me!!

21 years ago I crutched into the prosthetic office, terrified and exhausted from the physical and mental ordeal. I did not know what to expect, but I was hoping that the pain would be gone when I tried to walk. I will never forget how foreign it felt to be walking without pain.