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| Category: Self Help |
(requires Adobe Reader)
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| About the Book | |
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I’ve traveled here-and-there, done this-and-that, and solved a myriad of life’s puzzles. In living with and triumphantly adjusting to a disability these past thirty-five years, I have produced and orchestrated my life from my chariot’s helm. When confronted with a roadblock, I put it in neutral, consulted my mental GPS (good problem-solving skills) to figure out an alternate route, shifted gears then, popped a wheelie off to my next destination. I’m a modern road warrior in my wheelchair. My book, Views From My Chariot: A Wheelchair Oddity, recounts snippets of who I was before my car wreck, living an adventurous, enviable life among movie stars and musicians, and snippets during my adjustment on my chariot ride that changed me into the whole person I have become. It is a two-part book. The first part is a fun, humorous, yet pithy vignette Memoir. I portion out glimpses of a painfully shy farm girl reveling in nature and animals. I tamed feral cats, birds perched on my fingers, and I was the Pied Piper of lizards. (I’m the real Snow White. Cynthia White is my pen name.) I was a tomboy, always up for a dare by my best friend, Steve. In summery, Bell did emerge and she married a beast. When my flight of fancy was interrupted by disability, a journey of self-discovery ensued, revealing a secret, even I was incognizant of: I was a fearful, detached person. This revelation allowed me to break through the crippling chrysalis that had bound and paralyzed me before my wreck, into an emotional freedom and physical independence I had never known when walking. The second part, Appendix: Let’s talk, is a self-help/reference guide for gaining this emotional freedom and physical independence. It is chock-full of humorous, personal anecdotes in dealing with and alleviating daily vexations (even my mischievous pets), as well as descriptions, prices, and sources for purchasing helpful assistive aides, products, and equipment I have found to be essential, or just because I like them. They range from exercise equipment, pain patches and health care, home renovation and decoration, to kitchen gizmos with recipes included, and much more. All these are referenced in the Notes at the end of my book—a wealth of information for anyone adjusting to a disability, disease, or illness; also, a must for family, friends, caretakers, and professionals on the journey with us. If I had had this “What to expect and how-to circumnavigate barriers” manual, I could have sailed through numerous uh-oh interruptions and glided on my aha revelations. NOW, YOU CAN. Strap yourself in for an instructive ride. For good measure, you’ll also have a few chuckles. Enjoy!
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| About the Author | |
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Before her car wreck, Cynthia was “Who’s Who” on her high school and college campuses, a beauty pageant winner, model, and natural athlete. By education, she is a speech and language pathologist, counselor, and interior designer. She served as Pilots Club Handicapped Woman of the Year, and Ms. Wheelchair Alabama. |