Helping hands all the time
When I was a child, I have been dreaming of having my own gymnastic hall instead of a common girls-room, which I even had to share with my elder sister! This dream hasn’t got exactly true up to day, but I am still working on it! But I was already very creative as child...
I remember my mother getting angry when I repurposed the living room as a gym again and again. My daddy saved the house peace the day he came home with some old mattresses. From this day on, our cellar had another function: my private gym!
In wintertime, I spent all my free time on skis. First experiences on the snow happened at the very small private hill in front of our house. I had to learn to stand up by myself, to walk uphill with strapped skis without any help. At that time, I had no idea, that these simple and basic activities – learning to stand up again and to walk – would once have another meaning for me, the key to an independent life after my accident!
I had to stand up, to push forward beside of my handicap. First, I only saw problems in each situation, in each stair! I had to accept that I was reliant on help again, just as I used to be as a kid. This wasn’t funny at all!
Additionally, I had to accept that persons as my medical assistant interfered in my intimate life, asking me questions about things which I wasn't ready to talk about yet as too early after my accident. But there was no escape – I had to face this new situation!
In my life interpersonal relationships and social activities suddenly took on a very different meaning: I had to find people, who were not only willing to spend their leisure time with me, but also to help me in certain situations as being in a narrow toilet room, at a mountain restaurant, to lift me into a canoe or to push me uphill… in short, so I could pursue these activities and enjoy my leisure time!
I need helping hands all the time... without them I could never attend all the events that I’m attending to, I couldn't take all the opportunities the way I do. I would have a lot less quality of life, experiences and crazy moments!
And to my surprise: all the volunteers and friends who have tried hard to give me these most beautiful moments of my life thank me later almost exuberantly how beautiful the experience with me was. I still believe, it's more up to me to thank them for their help, but even managers can apparently learn from my situation, which is only great! So, nothing is impossible! Let’s try to do it and to try it together!
