My words for today, A Necessary Independence, reflect both what is going on in my life right now, and how I feel about it. I exercised that new independence today by expanding my driving horizons a little more. On the way to see Mr. Grinch I stopped at Riverside Meat Market and picked up some delicious BBQ for lunch. Even though he had just eaten lunch, he sampled a few bites from the sampler plate I had picked up from Riverside Market. His breathing is very good today. He has even been online shopping for a used Subaru Forrester for me. He found a couple we are interested in, and I will start checking them out more Monday and Tuesday.
After my visit with Mr. Grinch I headed back up town, went to the bank to make sure I could get in and out of there okay to do some banking for the resort when I need to, then headed to HEB. I do admit I shamelessly used our handicapped sticker, and slipped into a handicapped parking space at HEB. When I got through doing my grocery shopping, I really got brave, and took the interstate coming home.
Before anybody gets bent out of shape about me using our handicapped sticker. Due to the lack of vision in my left eye, and therefore a lack of depth perception as well, I actually do qualify for a handicapped sticker myself. If you don't understand why that is, put a patch over your left eye, and see what happens. You will find the world a vastly different place with a perpetual blind spot, and no sense of depth perception in it. Then add onto that the fact I'm relearning to drive in a big truck I have to put a pillow in the seat of so I can see all the way over the hood, and you'll get an idea of what I'm dealing with here. And yeah, go ahead and laugh, Ms. BB does have to have a booster pillow to go driving. ;)
Until now, I never used the handicapped sticker if I was driving and by myself. But, if there are sometimes moments when I need to use the handicapped sticker we have in order to continue exercising the independence that is necessary for me to achieve right now, so be it. As the doctor who saved Larry's foot explained to me, those handicapped stickers, tags and spaces are not just for those who have leg, heart, and other such problems that make getting out and about difficult. They are also there for those of us who have what may not seem a handicap to some, but that can affect our ability to be independent as well.
