My doctor says that I should ride my bike and/or walk in order to keep my heart and lungs health, and to keep my blood pressure under control and maintain a steady weight.
All good.
I am awaiting a disability decision on a claim I filed last winter.
I filed for disability because a combination of multiple health issues prevents me from doing what I know how to do even half-time anymore, and because retraining programs for anyone over 60 years old are not government subsidized.
There are penalties involved for anyone trying to move around a little to keep from getting sicker, when getting sicker is exactly what the government expects one to do when they are disabled.
Being disabled according to the government's standard means:
-- you're not supposed to medically improve.
-- you're not supposed to medically stabilize.
-- you're not supposed to have fun or laugh or have a social life, basically ever.
-- you're supposed to keep getting worse and die quickly so we don't have to pay you any of the Social Security you've put in over the course of your working life.
On top of that, Social Security will make it so hard for you to see your claim through to a positive outcome that eventually you give up (and please die already).
Well, FUCK that.
I'm still here.
I can't do what I used to be able to do, but I can still laugh and cry and enjoy my time with my beloveds and engage in the life and well-being of my city.
If I can do that sustainably, then by God I will do that.
See you at Bike Happy Hour.
(below: part of a quit I made by hand over 20 years ago. I can't hand sew like this anymore, but I'm glad I was able to make this and I cherish it greatly. Because I'm a human being and I get to have a life, however small and local it may be.)
