Being disabled isn’t cheap!

 This was displayed, wonderfully, by the character, Nigel Bates, on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

I have recently purchased an electronic wheelchair, to attend a funeral of a family friend, in London, England.

I had to purchase one, as the wheelchair I have, from the council, isn’t suitable to fit in the trunk of a car.

I had to pay the going rate for it and to travel to the funeral, by car, which is also more than half of what I get in benefits.

So please don’t think that we are in it for the money.

Mr Clyde Lionel Downes, you are now with your good friend, Mr Carl Dash, forever.

As the recent storyline with Nigel Bates’s character, played brilliantly by Paul Bradley, we need additional items, that are costly, when having a simple wash.

In my case, as most of you know, I have MS. I also need an internal and external bath mat, amongst other things.

My days of soaking in the bath, are over!

So when wondering why do we need a wet-room, please think of the drowning of this character, Nigel and realise why we need items, such as walking sticks, Zimmer frames, shower chairs and walkers.

This is why, when we get money, it soon says goodbye, as we visibly disabled people have no choice but to buy such items.

Buying these items isn’t cheap but necessary, particularly as we need them ASAP.

I assure you, I’m not moaning, just saying that’s the way it is for us.

To all disabled people: you are here because you have every right to be here.

Light and Peace.

Andria

X.

 HAPPY SPIRITUAL BIRTHDAY BOB MARLEY!

I have to do this, for a wonderful mixed-race man, who I'm proud to say, still matters now, more than ever.

 Rest In Peace, Mrs Stephanie Alexander.

It is with sadness, that I mention the death of my wonderful and stunning, 39 years of age cousin, Stephane Alexander, in Barbados.

She was a true ray of light, spreading sunshine to any area she was in.

All I know is that she went in for an emergency surgery, regarding her pancreas, on Friday 24 October this year.

At this moment, everyone in my family is crying. She had no children.

Mrs Stephanie Alexander, daughter of Rosita Jackson-Bourne and Robin Jackson, an step-daughter of Edward Bourne, you now sleep with the stars.

Light and peace.

Your cousin, Andria.

May you rest in peace, Mr Gaary Brown

 

I’m saddened to say this, one of the most friendly, committed and hard-working member of the Chelsea Football Club – FC - Mr Gaary Brown, simply known as Gaary to me, has passed away.

He was a true gent and all-round good guy.

Mr Brown was a supervisor at the lower East Stand and made a point of shaking everyone’s hand who signed a previous birthday card that was given to him.

I also have to thank him as before, I would hide my need to use a walking stick, when I turned up to work in this section but he made a point of saying, in front of the other managers that I shouldn’t need to do this.

I assure you, it’s not a spelling error that I spell his name the way I do, as Gaary liked having his name spelt this way.

I never knew the name of his disability nor does this matter. His commitment to the club was second to none.

I will always be grateful to have known him while working at Chelsea FC and I know that I speak for many when I say, Mr Gaary Brown, you will be missed by everyone who works in the East stand.

Every time I turn up to work at Chelsea FC, I and many others will be thinking of you.

 

Light and Peace

 

Andria

FIND ANOTHER WAY.

That’s what said by the top model, Ms Naomi Campbell, as to how she has overcome many unfair issues to get the result she wanted.

As Ms Campbell once stated: "I don't like to lose, and if I'm told no then I find another way to get my yes."

I admire this woman for saying this, who was born in south London, of mainly black Jamaican origin and also has Chinese ancestry.

The reason why I state this is because those words are so inspirational to me, regarding my disability.

As I cannot warm up my body to do weights, I go into my gym’s sauna for five to seven minutes, with a shower cap on my head to protect my scalp and hair.

I keep my mouth shut when I'm in the sauna and take a sip of water afterwards, as my mouth does get dry.

Hair grease/moisturiser on your head is optional, depending on your race and hair type. I too, like Ms Campbell, am of mainly Afro-Caribbean origin. My hair type is very dry.

After two minutes, I start to do stretching exercises.

Then when I start to have beads of sweat around the bridge of my nose - I realise this by touching that area.

That's when I know that my body is ready for me to exercise with weights that are attached to a machine.

May I state, to you and anybody else, that I am not registered with any health organisation(s).

I do this as I have multiple sclerosis (MS), which means that I can’t warm up the traditional ways, such as jogging.

I cannot use a cross-trainer as I can't get the co-ordination in my body right. This is needed to use that machine

I cool down by stretching at the end. This time it’s inside the gym.

Doing this, I feel explains why I’m still not in a wheelchair and I hope this will be of benefit to anyone, whether you’re disabled or not, in a wheelchair or not and have any issues of keeping fit.

As for the two weeks when my hair is being re-touched and I cannot do this, well I’m saving up to purchase a VibroShapper™, as it combines multi directional vibrations to tone and strengthen our muscles.

I can assure you, the adverts boasting about it’s ability will state more and you can see it for yourself by clicking here.

Light and Peace

Andria

I can’t help it!

Today I fell over at least three times today.

After the third fall, which I accept was more than likely, given to today’s hurricane winds, I grabbed onto anything I could, which in my case was a fence.

 

Two minutes later, a kindly woman at the bus stop, allowed me to link arms with her (using my left) and took me to the building I wanted to get to, which was nearly four feet away.

I never got her name but I said thank you to her before she left, heading straight to the bus stop that she came from.

I truly hope that it’s not like this on Saturday, as I’ll be working that day, around a football pitch.

I do applaud any efforts to get disabled people back to work, regardless of what the political party is behind it, which is why I’m very grateful for the recent initiative by the British Government.

However I realise there are some issues that can’t be dealt with, such as monitoring the Health and Safety at Work acts and the weather. 

Sadly it’s a well known fact that employers from many walks of life do look at cutting corners, which is why many employees don’t want to take on disabled people.

With more such despicable employers taking advantage of the cutbacks, it’s more than likely that this is going to increase over the coming years.

Then there are weather conditions like today. The hurricane winds meant that travelling anywhere was always going to be hazardous for me – I’ve got the sores and bruises to prove it!

So I give a cautious welcome to getting disabled people back to work, as I must admit, I do miss many things that I used to have as a non-disabled person, from the money I used to earn to the luxury car I once had.

But I realise that as we are disabled, there are things that we do need to have - such as instant access to personal needs, such as disabled toilets - that can’t be compromised.

I assure all of you, I’m not moaning, just stating a fact.

Light and Peace

Andria

MR MUHAMMED ALI - MY TRIBUTE.

The spirit of the man who dubbed himself The Greatest has departed from this earth.

MAY HE REST IN ETERNAL PEACE.

It’s not just the world of boxing who is saddened by Mr Ali’s demise, WE ALL ARE.

One of his former opponents, Mr George Foreman, mentioned Mr Ali, in his book: Going The Extra Smile.

In chapter five, Mr Foreman says in this wonderful book: “I’ve won a lot of fights in my life…the fight many people seem to remember me most though is the one I lost – the “Rumble in the Jungle”  in 1973 against Muhammad Ali.”

Mr Foreman talks at how that event changed bothy himself, the people that listened to him preach and the late boxer himself, especially when, years later, asked by a reporter about the fight, Foreman, who before had many reasons why he lost, simply said, the better man won.

Mr Ali read that comment and it opened a friendly dialogue between him and Mr Ali that has lasted until Ali’s unwanted death.

I’m so pleased at reading the above book, which I still keep and read at times when I feel angry, as it’s still a wonderful example of the importance of letting go of past disappointments and enjoying what today holds.

So thank you, to both Mr Ali and Mr Foreman, for the wonderful Rumble in the Jungle, a powerful and important match.

It is still viewed today as a wonderful example of sportsmanship and entertainment, despite the exit of one of its performers.

Love Andria