Why My Name is “Ellie”
I’ve always liked the concept behind nicknames. That certain people call you names different than you were given at birth, out of love and affection. I’ve had plenty over the years. Some are embarrassing from when I was small. Nope, not even going there. They are...
I’m Here to Apply…
Back in 1988, I was a brand spankin' new college sophomore, still a little naive about the way the world worked, and pretty solid in the conviction that the way I had always done things was the only way that made sense. It was a Saturday morning in the Spring, and...
The Last Two Words Are Important…
This is why I am frightened. Actually, the word "terrified' might be more accurate. Although I am a bit embarrassed to admit this, I confess that I have paid more attention to this election and the events leading up to it than I have any other election in my life....
Either Way, I’m Okay…
A caregiver and I were out and about running errands one afternoon a few years ago and decided to stop in a restaurant for lunch before heading home. Looking the hostess in the eye, I said that we needed a table for two. She ignored me. It was not until my caregiver...
That Settles It
It was a pretty weird thing to forget, especially since I had checked my packing list no less than a gazillion times. On a road trip last spring break, I realized about five hours away from home that I had neglected to bring my wheelchair cushion. How can that happen?...
Thank God It’s Today!
Icy prickles of anxiety flooded through me with such intensity that I was sure I had just swallowed Alaska. My health teacher, who was with me for moral support, had assured me that the man I was about to meet was very nice, but at that point, I knew him only by...
Then, I Can Hope…
When I answered the phone on that Sunday evening, the person on the other end was one of the last I expected. "Lorraine, this is Charlie Y." My intrigue grew. This man is one of the nicest people on the planet. I've known him for years now, he happens to be the doctor...
Hacking It
Many years ago... I was fired from the first "grown up" job I had. It's not something I am either proud of or talk about often. The reality is that I just didn't know what I was doing. Life circumstances prevented me from working at McDonald's as soon as I turned...
I Want to Buy New Socks!
There are holes in all of my socks. And I am not going out to buy new ones. As I have said many times previously, I am affected by spastic cerebral palsy, which means, among other things that there is a significant amount of spasm in my body, and that makes some...
Silence Can Be Bliss…
It was the beginning of June, an extremely hot day this past summer. My caregiver Michael and I had spent the afternoon, as usual, running errands and doing necessary things around the house like cooking and laundry. There was about half an hour left in his shift when...