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Adaptation

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• Adjustment to environmental conditions: such as modification of an organism or its parts that makes it more fit for existence under the conditions of its environment: a heritable physical or behavioral trait that serves a specific function and improves an organism’s fitness or survival.   For the longest, I would give credit to the U.S. Army for my strength of adaptation, but the truth is that the credit goes to my mother. I didn’t realize it until she passed the age of 80. As she ages, she is constantly facing a changing environment, from aches and pains to temperature intolerance. She experiences it, recognizes it, and adapts to it. Then keep it moving because this too shall pass.  As your environment, circumstances, and situations change, you need to change to deal with it. Don’t be consumed by your life. Change is within your control. Change may seem like it’s taking you back, but the truth is you are still moving forward. The progression may not be as fast as it used ...
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Mental Health Matters

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When was the last time someone asked you, "How are you doing?" When was the last time you asked yourself?
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Class of 2023!

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  I've come so far.   I never thought the day would come to this. I made Grannie a promise, even if it was only in my head. I said that I would finish what I started. I started this thing in 1995. In one week, I will be done, but I’m going to take it a little further. Give me an inch and I’ll take a foot. I’m smarter now. Since I’m old, I’ll say that I’m wise. I move differently now. I move with efficiency and efficacy. I move with a purpose. I had a dream in the beginning. I now have a vision.  
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Living My Life (with MS) - Take Flight

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You cannot accuse the United States of being an egalitarian society. It took my trip delivering Liam to Orlando for that to sink in. Let me unpack that for you. I did five legs of a flight, stayed in two overpriced hotels, and took a ton of Ubers.  As Liam kindly pointed out, my disability is my cheat code for getting through the airport. I'll give him that because it works and with that comes a myriad of assistance and assistants. What I become aware of is that these assistants were exclusively people of color. These are the people that wheel you around the airport from check-in, through security, from gate to gate, and on and off the plane. The extraordinary ones are cordial, friendly, helpful, pleasant, and damn right nice.  Don't get it twisted, people see me getting wheeled around, getting first dibs through security, and on the plane first. Some are so callous to think "he's so lucky" and some are so stupid to think "I wish that was me" or "I ...
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    TWO MORE WEEKS!
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I'll Take What I Can Get

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  Guess who gets the next two days off from school? I’d like to send a shout-out to the University for closing the only remotely close handicapped parking spot close to the business building on campus. Just because the building has an elevator and the pushbutton to open the doors, does not make it accessible. The ADA allows for so much leniency that the attempts to comply that some of these places make are laughable. I work at such a company. It’s a good thing that I don’t work in the Marketing or R&D department located on the second floor. I wonder if they would consider hiring me if I applied for a transfer. Just kidding. I don’t want to upset this boat while the checks are clearing.
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It's Like That

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  “If you're looking for sympathy you'll find it between shit and syphilis in the dictionary.” ―  David Sedaris,  Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays   ‘ Et tu Brute ‘ I wrote something on the M.S. forum board complaining about the 2 hours I spent in the MRI machine. The blood was in the water and the sharks came out. I guess I had a false sense of security in thinking that the board was a safe space. The truth is that any space occupied by humans has the ability to be compromised. It reminded me of a couple of quotes. The first from some movie I saw a long time ago. I want to say that it was Breakfast Club. “If you’re looking for sympathy you’ll find it between shit an syphilis in the dictionary.” The second was from a Shakespeare play. “Et tu Brute!” We always talk about how M.S. is a battle that we take on alone because everyone’s battle, symptoms, diagnosis, etc. is different. This fact is so true and so we look for support from those fighting the battle. ...
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