Does this make it a real disability?

[shadesofmauve]

I just received a little wooden box for five years working at Timberland Regional Library.

I had never intended to go this long without going back to school, but since I still don't know what I want to be When I Grow Up, I'm not really complaining. I have a house, a boy, a band, kittehs... life's pretty good. Bear that in mind, cause the rest of the post may sound a bit angsty.

In the last year I've started to realize that I want to do something to help restore the natural environment -- native gardens and restoration are a Big Deal to me. I've done some volunteering, put natives in my yard, and done a lot of reading. I'd rather do something with direct consequences -- planning projects/planting rather than education/outreach, for example. I'd rather not let years of design experience go to waste, either. I actually LOVE the hands on part -- see icon! I get a total high out of mucking around in my yard, slowly making it nicer for the birdies. I WANT to do more volunteer work like that (Native Plant Salvage, Conservation District stuff). In a perfect world, I'd love to do work-work like that for a bit.

But the world, and specifically the bits of it that make up me, aren't perfect.

My 'sloppy' right knee and fused ankle aren't good at uncertain terrain. I can work in my yard, on nice even ground, for a few hours every day ad infinitum. I've worked on a sloping revegitation site for about five hours before I had to quit or collapse, and wasn't very useful the next day. The footing in most forest situations, or forest + slope, probably cuts the working time I can get out of my right knee and ankle down to about three hours.

Now we add in reynaud's. Sitting at the computer in a cool office is enough to start an episode, but it's easily dealt with if I have access to hot running water. It IS enough of an issue that I've missed a bunch of native plant volunteer opps this year, because I didn't think I'd be able to be productive given the cold weather. (This is taking into effect work gloves + glove liners + hand warmers, and it occurs in my footses too).

This is an odd realization. My orthopedic issues are congenital, so my interests and hobbies have tended towards more sedentary pursuits my whole life. The reynaud's started suddenly when I was 20 and rapidly progressed to the point where I'm surprised medical text photographers aren't asking to document my fingers, but it's usually considered an inconvenience, and rightly so.

I have honestly never encountered a situation where my physical issues were actually a factor in considering employment I might want before. It's... odd.

Comments

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

This charming British writer named Michael Nobbs has been writing a blog and microzine about managing limited energy and time to do your Important Work. I think a lot of what he's written is very practical advice for just what you're talking about. And I think you're not only half way there, based on what I read, but also of sound enough mind to discard the crap you don't need from what he's worked out.

You should check it out:

http://www.michaelnobbs.com/