I have two more weeks until the summer semester begins for college.
On the home front, my husband and I are doing better. My husband and I have
been raising our son, Luigi, and getting ready for summer to approach. As I write
this, I do not feel as if I have been a faithful writer. At the beginning of
the year, I had a goal of writing daily. I don’t know what happened to that
goal. Too much stress came along and made the goal seem small.
Six months ago, I started a goal of losing weight. This goal
has been an active part of my life. The second week of May caused me more
stress than usual, so I ate more. This is where I can confess my sin. I noticed
I gained a few pounds in pictures over the past couple weeks. Plus, the
Oklahoma State adaptive sports program closed. The horse slaughter bill was
passed on Good Friday. Everything added up. The world seemed to close in.
Over the weekend, I printed off ADA accommodation forms for my
college. One responsibility I have is to get in contact with my professors to
let them know I have a physical disability and will need them to work with me.
I have already completed my responsibility and tried to get in contact with my
professors. I have had to e-mail the Dean of English to help me with contacting
my professors. Still, the professors did not respond. My husband has called
both of my professors on my behalf. One professor provided a brief reply. My other
professor has not bothered to contact me. I am interested to see how my first semester
will go. As long as I am doing my part, everything will be fine as far as I am
concerned.
I am looking forward to begin working on my Bachelors of Arts
in Liberal Arts. I am aware art programs in my state were at risk for losing
funding. As long as I can remember, the arts have been an important part of my
life. For a person with a disability, a horse can also be considered an art as
well as the adaptive sports program at Oklahoma State University. Combined, the
arts provide us with talents and opportunities the majority of society may not
understand. The arts have been taken for granted in my state.
For a woman in my late twenties, wheelchair basketball at Oklahoma State
University made me want to go back to college and finish up. I researched the
sports team to see how the members were doing and what made them change as
individuals. Before I found out about this great team, I was merely surviving. I
suffered from bitterness, resentment, and confinement. I survived by the false
friend of depression. When I saw this team online, something powerful shot
through my body. Cupid’s arrow had struck!! I fell in love with this new concept of being a born again
woman. Thus, the disability became accepted in my life. This group of athletes showed
me that I could become something larger than accepting life as it came. The old way of living was
the same as taking a bite out of a chicken sandwich that already has a bite
taken out (that really did happen to me).
I learned to not settle for anything in this world. By this time, I
had begun to take an interest in my old flame, literature! The books I chose
from the local library spoke to me. From literary characters, I learned more about
life. I learned valuable life lessons. I never believed lessons in life could
be taught in college. At the time, I was anti-college. College was about taking
out student loans and going into financial debt, learning about historical
figures who had no relevance in modern society, and a length list in my mind.
This anti-college movement off and on during my twenties really led me nowhere.
I do not even know where this trail of thought originated from.
I am not impressed with the thoughts I had during my anti-college
movement days. As I look outside the window and reflect on the woman I was, I wonder
where I would be today if things had happened differently in the past. One particular
instance, what would have happened if a horse owner in Anadarko had really taught me
how to ride a horse? From an early age, I enjoyed watching old shoot ‘em up
Westerns. The horses carried people from town to town as they rode in
carriages. The horses won races. Horse patrol was used by England law
enforcement and early American law enforcement. Before rail way and telegrams,
people heavily depended on horses. Horses were an active part of the culture and media.
At camp at an early age, I witnessed
first-hand how riding a horse could bring strength to a person with a physical
disability. With assistance, riding a horse is liberating the same way of
swimming. When I rode a horse, I felt more in control of my life. i had to be
careful to not have muscle spasms while riding. I felt disciplined in my ways. Being
on a horse made me want to take care of an animal the way horse owners groomed
the one I rode on. Riding on the back of a horse showed me how to be more
humane and understanding of animals needs and wants.
As I turn from the window of memory lane, I admit I was wrong about
my thoughts in my early years. I remember the summer of 2001 when I entered
Composition II and Responding to Literature. That summer, literature took on a
whole new meaning. From watching the play, “A Doll’s House,” I learned about
the role of womanhood in the home and society. I was mad at Torvald referring
to Nora as a “spend-thrifter.” But I also asked why Nora let Torvald degreade
to that level. I learned family traditions should be kept alive and active. I learned
the ghettoes of New York City were hard to survive living in. I learned about
the joys of learning how to drive. I learned that a marriage needs to have
communication in “The Cathedral.” I experienced realism that summer in both
courses. In Composition II, my professor enjoyed teaching the concept of “rhetoric.”
That seemed to be his favorite word to use. I remember my fingers typing
assignments left and right that summer.
Education is an important part of taking care of humanity and
society. Being educated on alternatives to horse slaughter houses can save
thousands of innocent horses. Oklahoma State University could have provided the
adaptive sports program with a portion of income from regular sports activities
and student tuition fees. There are other alternatives that should be
considered before reaching the breaking point of giving the axe.
I am trying to psyche myself up for tornadoes and stormy weather. I
don’t know if this will work. I still remember a tornado taking the life of a
great bus driver and friend last year. I do not believe a person can ever be
ready to hear (or read) that type of news. I have also been praying for a
friend of my husband and mine who entered the hospital last week with fluid in
his lungs. I have been praying for a few friends who are battling with cancer. I
have been praying for innocent animals to be loved and cared for, especially horses,
dogs, and cats. I have been praying for my son to be taught humanity towards
other animals so he can make friends.
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