I’ve been M.I.A. forgive me; I had a visitor. Allyuh know how it is, when people come from out of state/out of the country. Was a short trip for Obs so was pace right thru. Things are back to normal now, so back to our regularly scheduled program.
a few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with a coworker and she told me that she really loves rock climbing. Some time during the conversation, my disability came up and she said that the facility to which she and her son go has a “disabilities night” if u will. They shut down the facility to able bodied folk (I think) and the disabled can go climb as much as they want.
a little background for u: Sometime within the last 10 years or so a facility called Stone Summit opened in the area where I lived. Discovering that it was a rock climbing facility, I was intrigued but back then I wasn’t into working out one bit (Steups. Ballys gym got 3 years of membership fees from me and if I went 10 times, I went plenty). Anyhoo, as intrigued as I was about the rock climbing, I did nothing about it. Fast forward to April 2018…
speaking to the chick piqued my interest once again and once she told me about their offer to the disabled, I decided to call Stone Summit (I still live close by). I called and found out that they do not shut down the place for the disabled but there is a group that goes in every Wednesday to climb and that group is specifically “dedicated to providing adaptive adventure opportunities to anyone with a physical disability.” The atlanta chapter offers climbing and cycling. All I had to do was go to their website to find the information I needed. I emailed the contact and discovered that yes every Wednesday from 7-9, for a $10 fee, I ccould go climb. I just had to complete a few forms and give them the details of my disability. Of course, I was concerned about this bothersome left side of my body but the chick to whom I was speaking said that in some situations, they’d have someone climb with me to help.
What the hell did I have to lose? I knew that if I didn’t go, I’d be mad at myself…I went 2 weeks ago. Did I know what to expect? Nope. Was I nervous? Not at all. I’ve discovered that I’ve become quite trusting in these kind of situations. Maybe it’s because I have to be? In certain situations, I need help – I cannot deny that. It’s better to get the help than not and who better to help me than someone who deals with the situation all the time. I got there, introductions were made, I was told how things go and I “gearsed up” – my harness and shoes (there are special rock climbing shoes). Since it was my first time I was given the option of climbing the less intimidating wall – I took it.
So right now I’m using the word “climb” very loosely. They actually put me in a pulley rope system they have designed – remember it’s adaptive climbing. So it was a combination of my physically climbing and their using the pulley to get me up (I cyah lie, it was mostly pulley). I only went that one time cuz remember Obs was here for a short time and we had things going on. I had a blast, I actually went up twice and am looking forward to going again. Going forward, I’d like to start climbing more and using the pulley less (that’s my goal). Additionally, there weren’t enuf volunteers that night for someone to climb with me, so hopefully the next time I go, someone will be there who can “be my left side” so to speak. They can place these limbs or at least help to get them where they need to be. I’m heading there tonight, so stay tuned!
Enjoy…
the days when I could wine to the ground and back up without a second thought.
this is 2009 in DC and I hadn’t started using a cane yet. Those were the days that whenever we got wherever we were going someone would secure a chair for me so that we had it when I needed it. Unfortunately at this fete, all we could find was a kiddie chair (y was that even around??? Who knows) so I’m sitting on the kiddie chair when this was taken.
This was Miami carnival 2010 and the first time I’d ever partied with my cane. I think I might have felt a little weird at first.
2017 at home for (the real) Carnival…I’ve “downgraded? graduated?” to a walker and luckily in Trinidad, we can play Monday night mas so I was on my way to meet the band. SS was already in the trunk – playing mas with a walker makes no sense at all. I actually had to party with my walker once – by force. We took the scooter out the trunk and that’s when I realized that I didn’t have the key! what the?!? I felt like a fish out of water. Luckily I had the walker but I’ll be honest, I was self conscious whole night. I feel like a walker has no business in a party…sorry, say what u want about me, but there’s just nothing cool about a walker. I absolutely need it, but not even I can make it hip.
