Here is another oldie but goodie blog I have reworked, retooled, and remastered for your reading pleasure. I have done this to my previous post to bring it to you in high-quality HD, 4k, wireless, and at no cost to you. I understand there are plenty of things to read, so I am honored you made my humble ramblings part of your day. I hope my writing makes you smile, laugh, think, and consider all aspects of an issue, no matter the consequences. Enjoy!

Love Is in the Air…

I found true beauty in the love of my life, and she has grace and elegance like none before her. My Lovely has the seductive curves of Marilyn Monroe and poetic symmetry allowing for Fred Astaire-like movements. This glamorous Venus enables me to be myself while helping to keep the independence I desire. However, receiving this alluring artistry was a brutal battle in which I needed real fortitude and strong tenacity to obtain. Unfortunately, the dispute was continually discouraging, exhausting the entire process. Let me tell you the story of getting my first fitted and life-altering wheelchair.

My first wheelchair was a standard hospital-style wheelchair I received from a donation agency. Gary, the guy from the agency, told me that ninety-nine percent of their requests are for power wheelchairs. He explained they would not ask for my donated chair back and that I should plan to keep this heavyweight hand-me-down. The chair was sixty-five pounds and folded but did not disassemble, and its size and weight made it very difficult to put into most vehicles. Although my mom often exercised and was relatively fit, she struggled to put it in her SUV.

After a lengthy discussion with my doctor, Dr. Lisa, she prescribed an ultra-light wheelchair which was best for my active lifestyle. I took the prescription to a local seating clinic, where the discouraging part of the story began and common sense ended. Into the clinic, I rolled in my oversized and ill-fitting for my gaunt body wheelchair and could see people test-driving wheelchairs. Jill and Phil helped me sit on a slightly padded table to take a plethora of body measurements to ensure the best-fitted wheelchair. It is imperative when using a personal-sized chair for such a long time it should encourage complete comfort.

Jill made a statement that threw me for a loop as a 38-year-old active man in relatively good health. Without discussing my options, she merely asked what I wanted in a power chair. Jill, Phil, and I did not discuss the pros and cons of the various styles of wheelchairs and why to choose one over another. She explained how power chairs are much easier to pass through Medicare. I vehemently spoke up, clarifying that I wanted a manual wheelchair and would wait for any extra time needed. After Jill made her suggestions encouraging me to get a power chair for the fifth time, I fervently reiterated my stance and said no thank you.

After Jill tried to convince me I needed a power chair, and I refused again, they lowered me onto a manual chair that loosely fit my frame. This interim chair existed to test and challenge my mobility ability and self-propel strength in hopes I would reconsider. I was too stubborn to cry, uncle, as I ran through the paces, up and down ramps, and over speed bumps. Jill doubted my conviction and continued to challenge my endurance, having me push down a long corridor. This relentless testing showed I was a stubborn Marine, unwilling to back down from the exhausting investigation.

My current wheelchair is custom-fit for me, weighs just over forty pounds, and glides smoothly. This lack of bulk allows me to propel myself in places without feeling like I am pushing a 400 lb wheelbarrow. The chair easily disassembles and can fit into vehicles from the super small to the sizably substantial. Its tires have airless inserts eliminating flat tires or the need for the manual manipulation of an air pump. It continually helps me keep my self-reliance and expands the list of places I can traverse unassisted.

I have successfully used a manual wheelchair for nine years and even completed a 5k in this rolling seat. Seating professional Jill should have focused on my physical needs rather than her financial desires. Sadly, there are plenty of kickbacks to pad bank accounts nicely. If you are a person who needs a power chair, there is no question you should have precisely what you need. However, how many people get emphatically encouraged to ask for a power chair they do not need? Greed in society is powerful, prevalent, and problematic, and I do not know how to resolve this issue.

Unfortunately, many people have become self-indulgent, asking themselves what they can gain from any situation. This me-ism-based world can hurt those in need and benefit those looking to get more for themselves. We must be diligent in knowing what we need to be heroic and hear our desires’ reasoning. Most importantly, we must be courageous, ask questions, and stand firm in defense of our ideals.

Be strong vocally and get strong physically.

Here is a classic blog. I have squeezed out every ounce of editing like a lemon when making lemonade. I took this old dried-out chunk of paragraphs and blanched, boiled, and braised it like a piece of meat from the back of the freezer. My cooking has broken down the sentence fibers and tenderized my slab of ramblings, making it enjoyable for your consumption. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy that cold lemony drink as you read my updated writing from some time ago. Please enjoy! 

Ain’t nothing but an app thing…

I have spoken about how we benefit tremendously from the plethora of intelligent technologies. I have explained how futuristic inventions have improved all aspects of my life significantly. For example, tech has helped me open and close the door after answering it using a video doorbell while being in another part of the house. Using smart speakers verbally, I can set reminders, check the weather, listen to music, phone a friend, or even call for help. With these advancements, I can also turn on and off lights, the television, or ceiling fans and even open and close the garage door.

When I was younger, I knew a woman of a senior age named Janet who desperately depended on others for help with everything. She could not drive, and her handwriting was atrocious, making help from others extremely essential to her everyday life. Janet needed the assistance of people for all her transportation needs, whether at the grocery store or shopping for clothes. Friends would help her with money matters like writing checks, paying bills, and even opening the daily mail.

I am a very private person who desires independence and does not want to break the privacy palisade of my personal information. However, it is easy for me to keep my life details confidential in this world of “there’s an app for that.” I have banking, scheduling, and even delivery applications and a library, photo, and app for reviewing all of my apps. All this intelligent software makes it easy to keep a barrier between private and public information and helps me manage my life. 

My banking application has various skills. For example, it allows me to pay my bills by setting them up to be paid automatically or as a one-time payment. I can write checks, pay individuals, or schedule a transaction for a later date using the bank app on my cell phone. I can transfer money or send a cashier’s check anywhere and to anyone, all with the cell phone in my hand. My online financial institution is also open 24/7, so I can occasionally call if an account query puts me in a quandary.

I have food delivery apps that will deliver dinner from a diner at dusk or other forms of food on Friday. In the past, I needed treasures for tipping and papers for purchasing, but that is history as technology has raised modernity to new heights. Instead, I open the app for groceries or mealtime and pick the form of food, where to deliver it, and when to consume it. The application holds my details, like address and payment, and even allows me to tip all with a button. This situation reminds us we are heading towards, if not already, living in a cashless society.

When most people grocery shop at the local store, they can often roam like Nomads wandering through the desert. If you forget an item, a stroll through the local store might give a needed reminder to aid your brain box what that missed item is. While ordering groceries through the app, you will not stumble upon a reminder of what you left off your list. If you buy hot dogs through your phone, the application may suggest things like hot dog buns or chips, but it provides limited hints. On the positive side, purchases provoked by hunger will not happen using this grocery store on your cell phone.

There is an app for delivering a delicious dinner, a luscious lunch, or a meal at any time. Many restaurants offer their menu through multiple delivery services, yet the choice is yours for whom you should use. So the options are plentiful whether you want food from a Sports Pub or a white tablecloth restaurant. Finally, a simple systematic strategy for setting up these applications is as easy as downloading and signing up. It is unquestionably that straightforward.

When you are hungry and want a snack, it is really that simple: just open the app. Find the restaurant whose food you crave and go crazy, like you live in a cave. Merely browse the menus that they offer and find the enticing edibles, and they will chauffeur. Once you have the vittles from the restaurants you fancy, sit at the table and eat care freely.

At that point, your order sets a series of events in motion, all from that one button push that manipulates meal time forever. First, the app sends your order to the restaurant to begin prompt preparation and execute expeditiously. Before your order is ready, they send a message through the delivery app to let drivers know it is soon available for diligent delivery. Next, a driver visits the restaurant and picks your meal up for a quick search to find your house for prompt delivery. While being transported, you can even track the driver in real time through the app’s technological advancement.

Gone are the days of requirements to get dressed and enter a public space to have a sit-down meal. Instead, you can have fast food for one or slow food for ten, and all delivered quickly and conveniently to your chosen location. I was born at a great time, as I love my independence and require no help from others for tasks like these. I cannot wait to see what technology brings us next.

The cashless world is getting closer by the minute.