Sunday, June 22, 2025 – Day 313
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Good morning, all! It’s another steamy one.
Yesterday morning, I joined Cindy and Bear for a walk. The temperatures were pleasant, and there was a nice, comfortable breeze blowing—just enough to make it feel good to be outside.
As we turned the corner, we saw the contractors already hard at work at 7 a.m., backfilling the new sidewalk. When we got closer, we spotted a bobcat straddling the sidewalk, spreading soil with no clear way for me to sneak past. So I turned around and headed back home.
I find myself more sensitive these days to the barriers people with disabilities face. I suppose that’s inevitable now. But I still wonder—why are so many of these obstacles so common? Is it ignorance? Indifference? Inattention? Probably all of the above. Maybe it’s just that big ol’ “I” word—individualism. Everyone locked into their own world, not noticing the world around them. And while that may not be malicious, it doesn’t make life any easier for the rest of us. Honestly, it infuriates me sometimes.
To be clear, I’m not mad that the city was backfilling the sidewalk—that needed to happen for safety and aesthetics. What bothers me is being reminded, yet again, of the hard limits ALS has imposed. When there’s a barrier, I can’t “just go around” like I used to.
Here’s just a couple of my beefs: sitting at a crosswalk, trying to enter the street while car after car flies by without noticing—or worse, noticing and ignoring—the fact that I’m waiting. The city paints bright crosswalk lines and installs neon green signs, but that still doesn’t register with some drivers. I call them jack wagons. I try not to say anything worse, partly because I want to avoid unnecessary conflict…and partly because you never know when you’re dealing with someone unstable. No need to end up in a showdown with a road-raging psychopath.
Then there’s driveway parking. Because our city doesn’t allow overnight street parking (which is a good thing), people cram their cars into driveways—even if that means blocking the sidewalk. Again, not a big deal for most. But for me, that blocked sidewalk might as well be a brick wall. And while there are laws against it, I’m not sure anyone’s getting tickets to remind them to be courteous.
It’s not everyone. Most people really do try to be thoughtful. But that 20% who don’t? They make life harder than it needs to be. I usually let this stuff roll off my back, but I wasn’t prepared to be blocked out of my own morning walk yesterday. That one got to me. So I spent the rest of the day indoors—with books to read and golf to watch. Could be worse. And for a bonus, we started the Apple TV show Stick—a Barb recommendation. It’s actually very good. Thanks for the push, Barb.
Late in the afternoon, we heard a loud thud outside. Cindy and I looked at each other to confirm we both heard it. I checked the backyard, and sure enough—a dead maple had finally given up the ghost and toppled over. It was small, deep enough into the woods not to worry about, but it did take out a string of lights and crash-landed on some of the garden plants.
At first, I was ready to let it go—nothing I could do about it. But Cindy took one look and decided to see what could be salvaged. Mind you, the heat index was 105°. That’s about 30° higher than her comfort zone. Still, she grabbed a pair of gloves and went out to assess the damage. A few minutes later, there she was, bending down, grabbing the thickest part of the tree, and dragging it off the plants. All in good form. I watched from inside, impressed—and honestly, feeling guilty. That kind of thing used to be my job. That’s how we’ve always shared chores around the house.
Every week, it seems I’m adding more to her list. And I know that’ll only continue as my needs grow. It’s hard to witness, harder still to accept. But man…she’s something else.
Today is a new day with new opportunities and I’m optimistic that it will be a great day. So my glass is half full and ready to seize the day. I think there is something in Latin that captures that optimism.
Have a great Sunday.
Love you guys❤️
