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Most people who know me know I’m not much of a “TV” watcher. Actually, I don’t even own one. The closest to it is what I consider my very large (27”) computer monitor, which someone close to me bought for me when my (I think it was about 12 years old) monitor finally died. It actually started smoking one evening. At that point, I declared it officially dead!
I don’t know if my friend Dave remembers this, but when I was about to move into my very first apartment, as a young adult, he and Joe offered me a free TV, several times in fact. I wanted NOTHING to do with it.
Now, I’m not saying I NEVER watch anything, but I’m a “doer”. I’d rather be “doing” than watching. I mostly consider TV a waste of time – pretty much for those who don’t have a life. I know that’s awful for me to say, but by and large, that’s my attitude.
But in full disclosure, yes, my main attendant, Kelly and I do watch some stuff on Netflix while we eat supper. It’s “our thing,” and I find with most of my attendants (past and present) we end up having “a thing.” With Cassidy it was Crispy Minis. Courtney and I always made “big breakfasts” and I loved “organizing” stuff with both Courtney and as much, Victoria. Victoria is especially great with helping me organize “officey” stuff – files, etc. Watching stuff with Kelly also kind of forces me to take time to relax and take a breather, which I don’t often do otherwise, and frankly, neither does she.
So in the last few weeks with being so sick, I’ve watched way more Netflix than usual and I’ve gotten into “Heartland” a lot. I’m not going to say a lot about the show itself as that’s not my focus in all this, but on the show, the older daughter, Lou, is/was/is again, a kind of New York business big-wig who returns to live on the family farm, and not really being satisfied just being a farm/horse gal, she takes on various business ventures, and after marrying an oil big-wig and becoming a mother, Lou starts a blog, both as an outlet for her own need to do something “meaningful,” and as a support for other “stay-at-home business moms.”
Now, in a pretty unrealistic manner, her blog becomes “an overnight success” – literally. She gets offered a book deal by a major publisher, gets sent on a book tour, and on and on. (Yeh, right.) But in all this, she then feels she has to “spice up” her stories about her daily family life, which ends up leaving her feeling alienated from her entire family.
So she Skypes with the publisher to pretty much say: “I can’t do this! My family hates me now, because I tried to spice it up for you!” The publisher responds by saying: “I never asked you to ‘spice it up.’ I just want your story – about your life – your experiences – your views on things – your thoughts – in a nutshell, I just want to tell your story, Lou!”
When I started DisabilityPride.net, I’m not sure why, but I felt it should be mainly “newsy stuff”, general items that applies to “the greater good” and not so much about me personally. But more and more the feedback I’m receiving is “I want to know more about your life. When you do guest speaking, please talk more about your life.”
Now honestly, my favourite blog that I read, is my friend’s (Dave) blog. He often writes about his every day life, as both a disabled and a gay man. He writes about his experiences in going shopping and dealing with the public. He writes about having to wait seemingly endlessly for a homeless man to get out of the wheelchair accessible stall while Dave is bursting to pee! Dave’s had his blog much longer than I’ve had DisabilityPride.net and he has a huge following worldwide. He does lectures, guest speaking and has written volumes I’m sure.
So on today’s “Wednesday Poll” on DisabilityPride.net’s Facebook page, I’m asking for your preference. Would you like me to share my own life experiences, etc., as…..well, just me? Please visit facebook.com/DisabilityPride.net/ and vote. Thanks so much for participating no matter how you vote.
PS: Lou’s book tour was a complete bust. Lol. She returned home with suitcases full of unsold books, but now sells them in the local diner that she owns, in partnership with her Dad.
