The Great Outdoors

No, I did not climb a mountain, traverse a nature trail, raft the rapids, or fly fish in frigid waters.  I simply left the house.

Leaving the house is a pretty big deal for me.  The length of time between outings had grown longer and longer; it had, at times. stretched to more than a month.

My ability to get out and about independently is long gone, so my appreciation for the times I do get out is that much stronger.  A simple trip to the store can seem like an exciting adventure.  It can sometimes feel like its more work than its worth because there is so much involved in getting me out the door; but it feels good to see that there is, in fact, still a world out there.

 

“You have to get an accessible van”, a good friend said repeatedly (can I overcome the nagging guilt?, I wondered).   “You’re worth it”, a loved one said many times (am I?, my conscience questioned).   We took the plunge and spent the money for a modified minivan that is wheelchair accessible.  We learned all of the information required to use it, and set out for adventures that awaited us.

The van has now taken us on many outings.  It knows the route to our local Walmart well and has traveled the trek to bigger places beyond our city limits.

It’s still not easy.  Nothing about leaving the house will ever be easy again, but its much easier for me than it was to get in our other vehicle.  Trips anywhere are anything but spontaneous and going out of town requires a strategically planned schedule; but it can be done, and I am grateful to be part of the outside world when I can be.  While it’s easier for me, it has been and is more work for Mr. Legs as he has had to learn how the special features work and sometimes must fasten and unfasten my wheels.  I look at Mr. Legs in the driver’s seat and am thankful to have a personal chauffeur who loves me enough to overcome the cost and inconvenience of our new vehicle, thereby saying “you’re worth it” to me with our resources, and his time and effort.