Tricycle diaries

I have the feeling that since I came back from Lux I am lazier and less motivated than I used to be. Let's face it: it's hard to keep your old clients, look for new clients, apply for jobs, follow the news and try to practise interpreting while also having a social life and looking after myself. I know I shouldn't be comparing myself to others, but every time I realise everyday tasks take me double the time they take a "normal" person, I get frustrated. If I could decide I would do everything at the last minute (in fact, I still do everything at the last minute, there's nothing like a good adrenalin rush).

Since I got back I've decided to start looking after myself and try to be a bit healthier. I've always privileged brain work, but now I've realised that the body is equally important. That's why, I've started exercising again. My problem was that I was never happy with the results I got. I had the feeling all the effort and the hard work just didn't pay off. There were hardly any visible results. Impatient as I am, I just couldn't deal with it and I usually stopped exercising all together.

Today I was trying to decide wether I was happy with what I've done in these three months since I am home again. I could list some positive things, but overall I wasn't really satisfied. It felt like time just flew buy and I hadn't been able to do much.

That's what I thought until a very good friend of mine invited me to her and her boyfriend's flat for the first time. She just said to me: "Come, we're doing something different today." She did not mention there were around 50 stairs to reach her building or that the flat was too small for me to use the wheelchair inside. Guess what? I managed to climb up all the stairs (and I was surprised how fast I actually was!) and walk on crutches in the flat. There was no way I would have done this three months ago. I am now ready to climb up to the third floor tomorrow (the motivation is even greater and...ehm...more muscular this time :)

Lesson number 1: When you feel you are wasting your time or you should be doing other things, take a deep breath and keep going. It does pay off in the end.

My friend's boyfriend is a musician. At one point I asked him if he has ever stopped playing for a longer period of time. His answer was: "Not for more than three days. If I stop playing for longer I just don't feel right."

Lesson number 2: Everyone should have a musician as a friend. Never stop doing what makes you happy, no matter how hard it is.

Going back to the slowness issue. If you are in a wheelchair and you do not drive a car (don't tell me I should try to pass the driving test...it's a loooong story) you either push yourself or you let other people push you. There's a third option: an electric wheelchair. Brilliant solution, but it's heavy, it doesn't roll over high curbs and you can't take it with you everywhere you go. I have often been forced to plan my day depending on which wheelchair I was using (eg. electric ok for walks in town - not in my hometown, that goes without saying - but not for dinners at friends' places, because there are always some steps/stairs in the way).  Once you scrap the electric wheelchair option you are left with the first two: pushing yourself - but that can only be done on certain roads and for relatively short distances - or letting others push you - but that's tiring and it may result in people not wanting to spend as much time with you as they would otherwise. Free workout is good, but maybe not what most people have in mind when they hear the words: "Let's go for a coffee."

Lesson number 3: Why making things complicated when they can be simple?

I have a new toy: a wheel with a battery which you attach onto your manual wheelchair and it turns it into an electric one. Pros: when you don't need it you just unplug it and you have your manual wheelchair back. Cons: I don't know how to use it properly yet. Give me some time. And be happy about the good news: the next time we see each other you won't have to push me :)