Category Archives: NYSILC

In This Room

Posted on by
Reply

In this room the spirits of Gandhi, King, Mandela live and breathe.

In this room advocates from every corner of the country abound, all joined in the still-going war for independence in my country (and others) for people with disabilities.

In this room the annual national SILC (State Independent Living Council) Congress is meeting. I am part of a four member delegation representing the New York State Independent Living Council, an extraordinary group of people if there ever was one.

In this room you see what all here already know; you don’t have to stand up to stand tall; you don’t need sight to have vision in life; you don’t need hearing to know the sounds of injustice.

In this room we talk of battles fought, some won, some lost. Fellow advocates and I compare our experiences with New York Senator Chuck Schumer, all positive.

In this room I remember successfully suing the New York State Crime Victims Board a couple of years ago, reversed the CVB’s decision to deny phone counseling to crime victims. I remember the long battle so many of us across this country fought to make the Brady Bill reality. I remember uncovering the fact a high-level state contract employee was knowingly misrepresenting his credentials (at this writing he is not longer and state contract employee).

In this room I am with people who have done as much and  more. All of us are joined  in the struggle to make sure no one is denied their inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

In this room goodbyes will be said and we will return to our states and territories and the struggle for independence will continue. As a result of our time together, however, we are nourished, and, as a result, one step closer to independence.

2010: Rethinking It All & Thanking My Readers

Posted on by
2

By and large 2009 has been a rewarding year for me.  It’s had it’s blows but all years do, nothing new there. The readership of this blog has more than doubled from last year. At times more than 2,000 viewed these pages in a given month. While a large majority of the readers are from my country, there have been readers from around the world: Canada, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, France, Slovenia, India, Korea, Ireland, Columbia, Romania, Brazil, Australia, Morocco, Norway, Paraguay, South Africa, Thailand, Taiwan, Luxemburg, Croatia, Spain and so on.

I cannot tell you how grateful I am to those of you who visit here, whether you are stopping buy one time or, like more than I ever imagined, you stop by regularly. You can be sure this blog will keep going. In fact, this is the 228th piece I’ve written for it this year alone.

This year has had some fine realities:

  • I am still sober and without my sobriety, none of what is wonderful in life would be available to me.
  • A workshop I began in early 2008 for survivors of brain injuries and others continues to flourish and will celebrate its second anniversary in early 2010.
  • My friendship with Michael continues to show us both we are brothers, and my love for my nephews: Vincent and Philip, and now Jay, is as powerful as can be. My love for Frieda, Michael’s wife of the heart, runs so deep she is, without question, family to me too.
  • I saw Tischa Toon,  my childhood friend, who I love very much, for the first time in years, met her husband, David, a beautiful human being, and saw pictures of their sons.
  • I have a group of wonderful male and female friends and am forever grateful.
  • The survivors of brain injury, their loved ones, and all others who come to my workshops and those I have met throughout this state are people I genuinely care about and, in many cases, genuinely love. Whatever good I may bring to their lives pales in comparison to the good they bring to mine.
  • My advocacy has done some good this year, I hope, and for those who know that streak in me, you can be sure it is as alive and well and as tenacious as ever.
  • I met Christine Mansfield in Cape Cod and fell completely and utterly in love with her. And just in case that wasn’t enough, I met her daughters, Emily and Anna, extraordinary young women in their own right, and love them both.
  • I am on the New York State Council on Independent Living and I can tell you that is one spectacular group of people.
  • Although on disability, life is wealthier than ever.

This year, like any year, has had its not so fine realities as well:

  • My friend Jimmy died too soon at age 57. There is a little less light in the world with him gone.
  • I met some who offered lip-service friendships with love and loyalty firmly tied to the foundation of hot-air.
  • While there are some positive signs and things may be looking up in my state for people like me who live with brain injuries, we are not out of the woods, and I and those connected with me around the state are paying close attention.

On the horizon:

  • There are some new steps on the advocacy to be taken this year, one is already underway, the formation of a statewide coalition of brain injury survivors so that we too will have a unified voice.
  • I will devote more of this year to writing than ever before and may cut back in other areas to do this.
  • I am quietly adding things to my bucket list and will be acting on them.
  • I will begin writing a piece this year revolving around my experience of my state’s relationship with those of us who live with brain injuries
  • And more….

In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and each other. Don’t forget to say I love you to those you love. They deserve to hear it and you deserve to say it.

And, remember to live. Thank you again for reading this blog.

Warmth and respect to you all,

Peter