LAFF: Linoleum Chicken and Broken Tailgates………..

For this week’s LAFF I almost told the story about how the other day when I was deciding what to have for dinner, I opened the freezer and a box of fried chicken jumped off the freezer shelf and landed on the floor with such force that the box split open and the chicken flew out and landed on the floor.

I definitely DID NOT eat it for dinner later.

*Because my mother raised me better than that. 😉

So instead of that story, I’m going to tell you a story about my wheelchair. This is actually part 1 of a 3ish part series on my journey to get another wheelchair.

Enjoy!

This year my manual wheelchair turns 13 years old.

In cat years that is about 63ish. In wheelchair years that is at least 103 and honestly, she sounds like it.

Old Blue, as I like to refer to her, came to be mine after the tragic loss of my old wheelchair.

I say tragic because I lost her in a freak traffic accident, but it’s not what you think.

When I lived in Louisville about 13 years ago, I was using the same chair I had since Jr. High.  I know, that sounds crazy, but it’s true. Back in my 20’s I was still walking with crutches and a walker on a regular basis, so my manual chair didn’t get as much use.  But I did use it to go on errands like grocery shopping.

On this particular day, I asked a neighbor to take me as the store was just up the road a few miles. Her only vehicle was a pickup truck. I didn’t think much of it as she hoisted my chair into the truck and we were on our way.

When we arrived at the store, we got out of the truck and walked to the back to discover my chair was GONE.

How in the world??

Aliens?

The Rapture??

Nope. Turns out that living on the bottom of a hill and putting your chair into a pick up truck with a broken tailgate is a pretty solidly bad idea.

We immediately retraced our steps and the funny thing was, the chair was NO. WHERE. TO. BE. FOUND.

It’s very strange and unnerving to lose a piece of you that’s not exactly your body, but at the same time it feels like you broke your legs. And it’s an unfortunate way to learn to not put your wheelchair in a pick up truck with a broken tailgate.

So long story short, I was fortunate enough to be able, after several weeks, to start the process of getting a new chair-at no cost to me. 

And we’ve been through so many adventures together.

I met the love of my life while in this chair.  

She was my “something blue” at my wedding.

We saw a total solar eclipse together. 

I’ve held all my nieces and nephews while sitting in this chair. 

It’s been quite a journey with this chair, but I’m so excited for this next chapter. 

Stay tuned! 

One of our favorite wedding photos featuring my something blue 🙂

*I guess in this instance, do as I say, not as I do?? 😛