Mission Impossiable... I think not!

OK so I did it! I made it all the way round the environmental fair. It took me 4 hours and plenty of pain killers but I did it. Whats more I have proved I can, if a little slow, manage the walking required for Thursday. So double score there.

Now let me explain this environmental fair is a bit like a big country fair, but it covers all things green and healthy. There are few Church's and mosques doing their bit for out reach work, and plenty of things like local beekeepers selling their produce, the local allotments showing what can be grown, and the fairly newly restored lavender fields selling not just the dried plant but all the potions and lotions made from it. Foe me its the way to see whats happening locally that I may of missed and a chance to restock my ever growing book collection. This year was no different, beloved husband said he felt like one of the pack donkeys I had just donated money to save, with the amount of books I bought. I got a few new fiction reads, although there weren't many that caught my eye in those. Added to that was 3 biographies, 4 cook books and a couple of historical books, oh and about 6 on religion. If nothing else that's a good 2 weeks of reading accounted for, and those that aren't up to scratch will find themselves packed of to the local charity shop for recycling.

Of course I entered a few tombolas but the only ones I seem to win on them are ones where soft toys are concerned so we now have 4 more to the collection. But this isn't just an event of greed and gain. Vital information can pass hands about local historic work, or up dates on new charity work. Whats more people aren't afraid to just come up and talk to you about things, whether you be able bodied or not. This is the one event in the year nothing seems to matter there are no prejudicial looks or comments.

 This was highlighted to me more this year when one lady just came over to where I was hobbling and started telling all about a local scheme run by the council that I may qualify for. After two long chats ( I can only stand still for so long) and plenty of literature, I have found out our local council has this scheme set up for long term chronically ill and disabled people, where they are there to assist in helping a person gain all the correct benefits they may need, help them and their carers get a holiday and the bit that interests me there is like a day care centre. how this works is your care needs are assessed and you get told how much you are entitled to in a form of credit. This credits are then passed to the scheme in exchange for sessions. Theses sessions could be pottery, computer skills, or even a specially devised gym. What session you attend is entirely up to you. For me this sounds like heaven a scheduled activity of my choice. Whats more I can get a free taxi service not just to the classes but to other things like my doctors appointments as and when I need. So providing I can get DLA this door is now open to me. Whats even more telling is not the fact of what it can do for me but what it has already done for others, for the lady who approached me had a far more poignant tale. How this scheme had saved her partner from a depression so deep and lingering he had attempted suicide multiple times because his sudden lack of mobility had affected him so deeply. The same man who as his wife described resided in such a dark place for the 5 years prior, was able to come over to me and tell me what I need to do to unlock the freedom he had found. How different places offer the use of those mobility scooters and what price I was looking at to pay for a months hire and so on. This is the kind of information that in the normal world people are scared to share. On a normal day it is almost unheard of for a random person to come over to another in the street and share this amount of personal information to a stranger, let alone say they would help me once I am accepted onto the scheme, make sure I am getting all I am entitled to with even a long term goal of gaining work in a place that would make allowances for my needs, wothout patronising my abilities.         

 

So I had a great time and plenty of real world chats with people I knew and many I didn't. I had my mind opened further to causes new and old, was able to give a few pennies to organisations desperate for contributions to maintain their good work. In fact I had a brillant day except for two things, both of which were my own fault . One I forgot to eat all day, and I genuinly mean forgot. There were more places to obtain suitable food from than you would find in a food court in most shopping vcentres. The other thing was I pushed myself so far I am expect a double duvet day till the Para Olympics on Thursday, but it was because of that I pushed myself. I had to find out if the two hour journey each way, was going to be doable via public transport. So by making myself practically continually walk from 12 pm to 4.30pm I have proved I have it in my to fo the travel by train and bus, get round the food court and then manage to sit for the events and get home. Thursday is going to be a longer day it will involve leaving at 9.30 am to get to london by 11.30 allowing us time to get through security and thenn eat and drink before a 2 pm start. Then repeat the process backward at 6pm to aim to be home by 9pm. So if I seemed crazy pushing myself today it was for good reason.       

 

I am pleased with myself today? Yes I am, I have found that grit required to do what I have to. Am I extremly tired and very sore? of course but it was worth every twinge and sharp shooting pain.Am I going to spend the next two days in bed unable to walk beyonf the bathroom? very likely but so what. Was this a mission impossiable? very nearly but thats not going to stop me. For now I am going rest up as please as punch with myself and trying not to let on to my two little boys cats that tomorrow is their snip day. I think tomorrow there will be 3 of us the worse for wear on my bed. Well at least we won't be lonely, if a little sore.