4.24.2006

The weekend in review, TBI survivors, care package community project, and too much dependence

The weekend went well, although I cannot remember what I did on Friday night. It's old age catching up with me.

On Saturday morning, I skipped P&W practice so that I can work with my group. Did I tell you that I have a part time job working with brain injury survivors? Yup. Every other weekend, I take a small group of TBI survivors with various cognitive and physical disabilities for social events and facilitate mainstreaming.

Along with any physical deficits (I really don't like that word), most have some type of memory loss. They are reminded constantly about what they did just 15 minutes ago.

Even with their pains and hurts, I learn so much from them. While most appreciate that they are still alive, a few of them really are frustrated that they are no longer considered "normal". Some membership wish so much to walk again.

Each one has such a great personal success story behind their accident. The president of the membership speaks frequently in the DC area to remind folks about what could possibly happen to them.

This weekend we took them out to do a community project. For a couple hours, we departed for a local Northern Virginia community center created care packages for soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan. Our group brought various items such as Fairfax country government t-shirts, shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste.

Other volunteers brought books, bibles, magazines, water bottles, etc... The essentials needed during a war would be such a great help to the soldiers. As we were packing, one of the volunteers almost shed a tear as she was building the box.

It suddenly dawned on her that these boxes were going to men and women in combat.

Then, it got to me also. Wow. I was imagining the troops in the desert alone.

It was nice to see people pitching in as they were packing the boxes, and volunteers were creative as they were writing notes/prose on the sides of the boxes.

The life group fair at the church went well. Unfortunately, someone got a little freaked about one of my groups. She'll have to deal.

I know that sounds callous, but I don't think I can do anything to help out with her situation. It pains me that I cannot write some of these items as a post. Also, there are other factors in which I cannot truly express on this blog. I don't really want to hurt those people, if they ever do find this blog at a later time.

As you already know, I like to surf the net when I get every opportunity. Hmmm. Its starting to sound like an addiction! Seriously, I gotta be careful about too much of a good thing or wasting my time.

I skimmed this NY Times article today and I initially wished that was happening to me. Then I thought, no. I wouldn't want to be dependent on others for any type of finances. It would just make me much more dependent on others for my personal comforts.

Would you call yourself an adult if you allowed this type of help? In regards to my own parents, this type of help would definitely have strings.

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