I was paralyzed in 1981 in a motor vehicle accident while working as a
logger at Mt St Helens. While still in
the hospital, I was taken to a wheelchair basketball game and went swimming. Moving to Hawaii a year later, I hung out
with other guys in wheelchairs playing tennis, basketball and doing the Maui marathon
on my 24th birthday. Santa
Barbara was another 5 years of basketball and tennis with other young smart guys
in wheelchairs. That was a lot of help
in learning from the collective wisdom of others. I practiced
wheelchair basketball for a couple more years in Bellevue.
That was great help for dealing with spinal cord injury issues and life
in a chair. It still was not enough to
overcome my isolating addictive personality issues.
As a member of the AA fellowship of recovery, I am learning how to get
and give positive loving emotional support with others. It has taken me years to breakdown my sense
of terminal uniqueness and overcome my fear of people to allow them into my
life. Better late than never.
I am grateful for the support that I get from others in trying and
learning how to live a life with physical and emotional sobriety. I still have a long ways to go, but am doing better
than ever before and am optimistic that I will continue to make good progress
in creating a fulfilling life for myself while helping others.
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