Wheelchair

Once I was walking barefoot toward a bridge and a bee stung me on the foot. I had cleatless bicycle shoes in my hand figuring they'd be good to have on my feet in case I had to run from the police when I go out of the water.

One night I got dropped off by a co-worker at the bus stop, amongst it's snow banks, after my first day on the job. Bus pulls up. I drop down off the curb. Bus driver not only says I can't board the bus because he doesn't have a lift, but also that he can't move the bus until I move my wheelchair... and I'm stuck between the curb and the bus door.

One morning I left Arnott's Lodge and rolled down the road and into Hilo Bay. I wanted to be sure that I started at sea level before pushing my chair to the top of Mauna Kea- 47 miles of road and 2 and 2/3's miles of height away.

Not one or once, but many and much times, and time, I have started writing this odd storey down, thinking it would be interesting and maybe I could make something of this large pile of esoteric effort.

Nearly two decades ago I hurt myself badly by taking a miscalculated risk. I thought about my family, accepted the hardship, and swam toward shore. Today I am simply here. I still reach outward but more and more this outward is stability and consistency. Maybe what I seek is humility and grace and some special kind of strength that I imagine most everybody else already has in abundance.