ferncohen.com
Call it a resolution if you must, but what I would like to do in 2009 is to repair relationships that have been suffering, especially if my attitudes and actions contributed to the damage. It will involve forgiveness on my part, listening to others, and putting myself out to initiate contact in some cases. I would also like to stop finding fault with those who are in my life, especially people who are there for me.
Yesterday I used relay calling to wish family and friends a happy new year. Unless you listen to the operator, it sounds like a sales call, so people sometimes hang up on the operator. But it's the closest thing I can have to a telephone conversation. I type, the operator reads what I type, and the other person talks, and the operator types what the other person says. The advantage over instant messaging or email is that you don't have to wait until the person is online, and the other person can feel like he is having a real phone conversation, even though there are slight delays [although those operators are fast, and I can type while the other person is talking, so it flows nicely]. It's mostly the older people who don't "get it" at first.
I have always found that, when I am in a funk, it helps to call, email, or write to someone I have not had contact with in a long time. Also, this morning I did something I don't do often enough, and will try to do more: I thanked Lynette dor taking such good care of me and cleaning up my pukey messes yesterday.
Until 2004, I was an independent and active woman -- a former airline sales exec and then a high school educator. Then my body kept betraying me. I was finally diagnosed with ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease -- confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak. With life at a slower pace, I learned to live a more conscious and mindful life -- buying, eating and other choices. I listen instead of talking, and I observe instead of running and rushing.
IZEA
45e38fe4f37dbb7d7816d217703971713d18d2562e71754a8f
4 comments:
. Hello Fern, you reminded me of the first time I called my mother using relay...she'd told my dad "It's some deaf person, I don't know"...lol! :-D Anyway, apparently she was distracted from her cooking, because soon after, the relay operator typed: "(female)Oh, my God, my kitchen's on fire!", call disconnected. Can you imagine? She had a grease fire, and we called the fire dept, not knowing what the problem was!! Anyway, funny now, wasn't then.
P.S. I've marked your blog to put a link on my site, www.stevewhitenc.com
Take care!
I think and hope you will have a great 2009. I am sorry for your illness, and I can understand your concerns, because I have been there, done that. Anyway.
Take care, happy new year!
Chuck
Happy New Year. I like your introspective resolution. Mine is more practical, I want to keep up better on all my chores and follow-up. It seems that everything goes slow but its mostly because I procrastinate. So sorry to hear you caught the wicked stomach bug. I live in NJ and know a bunch of healthy people who were laid up with it for days. It must be so much worse for PALS. Your illness helps me though. Last night my husband was fearful of the thought of what would happen if I got sick and had to vomit, would my muscles be strong enough, would I choke, had I read anything about it? Tonight I will report I read Fern's blog and she's a good puker. :) Feel better!
And let me give you a suggestion: if you feel you want to puke because you feel nauseous and feel like food is laying there, just use your cough assist [have a bowl or a towel ready].
Post a Comment