Thursday, April 24, 2014

Respect and Understanding: A message to the real world.



Every once in a while, everyone wakes up and is unsure what they want to do that day.

When that happens, I find it is best to write a list of things you can do, then decide if they have to be done that day, or if they can be put off. One of the things I notice is that a lot of times, people like to procrastinate, and that, I find very disturbing. 

If the person is doing something they need to do, that is all that matters. Yet, we hear a lot of judging and that gets in the way of a lot of people’s emotions, especially people who need help. 

I went through a process this week where I was having questions at work and people would answer me with things like, “You’ve been here for 12 years, you should know how to do that.” Or, “Use common sense!” 

We need to be more understanding and listen to people who ask questions, because whatever it sounds like to you, it is still important to them. 

Being understanding and listening are two very important goals toward guiding people. Like, if you don’t want your child to smoke, you should not smoke in front of them. This takes practice, so it is important if you can, to start doing it with them early in a relationship. I want to stress that people do that, because in my case, being heard is very important. I sometimes have a tendency to ask too many questions if I am not told that they understand, sometimes I don’t know they understand.

Have a good day,
Alyssa

Thursday, April 17, 2014

The importance of listening.


I want to talk a little about listening to people. 

I was at work, fell while I was outside, due to a problem with my balance. No one was around to assist me, so I had to try to get up on my own.  I eventually got up and went inside my workplace and tried to tell co-workers and supervisors that I wasn’t feeling well. 

My supervisors listened to me, but my coworkers thought I was playing a game. Eventually an accident happened and I had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. It wasn’t until the accident happened that people took me seriously, therefore, I felt like I was being treated as a child.

When people tell their parents or teachers something that may sound silly to them, don’t assume that they are playing games. For the person who has disabilities, that is an important message to get out; they need to be heard. I think listening is a big way to help their confidence.

Thank you for listening to my blog. 

 Alyssa

Spring is here...and challenges too.

The beginning of Spring was late, weather wise. 

Due to that, it's going to be hard on food processing, which will make it hard for us to get some of the good we need. I've done some activities this week. I went to a birthday party, I met a couple of new people from CIF (Center for Independent Futures in Evanston where I live) that are new to the community I belong to. 

I am going to try harder to go to some CIF activities if it doesn't affect my work schedule. 

When we are looking for jobs, we want to be sure to find one that has a set, or steady schedule, one that gives you more than one week's notice at a time, and that you can work the same days and times each week. The reason I haven't participated in activities is mainly due to my work schedule, which means I can't always make plans in advance. 

Allergy symptoms and other health issues can also play a role in making plans. We want to have jobs, but part of life is taking whatever we can get sometimes. I am going to be going on vacation next month to Boulder, Colorado, to see all the mountains, and visit my brother and his family. 

Until next  time, stay positive! 

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Hello again. I am glad to be back.

I decided to take a break during the winter months, and I am happy to be back!

This winter turned out to be a journey, and it has affected me in many ways.

Cold weather and medicine are not a good combination due to side effects. It was very cold and wet for close to 7 months. I discovered I have a balance problem, which has required going through physical therapy.  I'm now trying to keep myself motivated to do the exercises at home, on my own.

Besides that, it has been hard to get to work due to all of the snow and ice this winter, I've had to allow more time to get around. Winter can make it hard on people with disabilities, who already have problems getting around, the added time can add up. It's important to keep track of our responsibilities, and keep working at it, because it will eventually make you stronger at doing things independently.

I will write more again soon. Happy Spring!