Looking back at the last
30 years, I've gotten involved, taken action:
1) I helped co-found a
flute choir (Lakeside Flutes - still in existence) in 1988,
2) volunteered when my
daughters were in grade school,
3) got involved in our
congregation's Sunday School - serving on the Youth Education Committee for
over 10 years,
4) got involved with the
community band I played in after Lakeside Flutes,
5) Got my diagnoses, and
treatment - after I got sick - another form of taking action, and
6) Got involved with the Vestibular Disorders Assn. - VeDA - as an Ambassador.
In the present - right
now - I know these three things -
1) my therapies are not
bad for me - quite the contrary, they help me, as long as they're tailored to
me. Patience also matters - speed is never a thing with neurological rehab.
2) I can't completely
control (I wish!) all the factors that can impact me, bring on symptoms. I can
only do the best I can.
3) Doing is important.
Trying things. I still like the idea of volunteering "out there."
I need to try out volunteering
in environments where I'm comfortable, where getting there is not difficult,
and where I know the people will be understanding, and willing to accommodate.
To that end, I am
re-approaching our local West Deerfield Township food pantry about volunteering
there.
I've also floated the
idea of some kind of volunteering at Dr. Margolis's office. Yes, my doctor's
office.
I don't know if either
of these volunteering opportunities is going to work, but I need to try. I also don't know how my therapies and
volunteering will fit together; it's going to take some experimentation. And I
have to do the best I can to take care of myself.
Life can be so unpredictable.
Trying things that I actually choose feels like taking back a little bit of control
over my life. I believe that "me" - the one who DID all those things
I listed - is still there.
My skills are still
there, but my current health situation definitely complicates matters. I hope
that there's a way, even in my new normal, not for what I'd once envisioned,
but for something "out there."
