This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

For some reason, I felt compelled to offer a 45-minute presentation to local schools free of charge.  So, we began sending out emails to principals in hopes of generating some interest.  To my surprise, we received a phone call within a matter of minutes from a principal who had hosted me at his middle school 14 years earlier.  Since then, he had moved and was now a high school principal in Eugene, OR.  After making arrangements for me to speak at his school, he assured me that my presentation at the middle school had a great impact on the students and that he even had a Life is an Attitude hat that he purchased years ago.

When we arrived, I was ushered into a small auditorium where I set up my paintings and books.  The bell rang and kids filed in.  Some were a little rough-around-the-edges, and they didn’t seem all too interested in being there.  However, I noticed a few kids with physical disabilities and could tell they were excited to see that their guest speaker had a physical disability, as well.  I was introduced and during the first five minutes most of the kids wouldn’t even look at me, but then as if they were struck by a magic wand, they became engaged and listened intently.  I spoke about turning tragedies into triumphs, losses into gains, no matter how bad circumstances were in the past.  By working together to reach positive goals, a team can make the dream happen.

Following my speech, a number of students came to meet me and share stories of their own.  They thanked me for giving them hope as they left: “if you can do it, Mr. Heagy, we can do it!”  Their words breathed life into my weary soul.  When all of the kids had gone back to class and we were preparing to leave, a young man slowly walked back into the auditorium.  I could sense a heaviness.  “Mr. Heagy, your…”  His emotions got the best of him and he began to cry.  He turned away a little and I quickly spoke up, telling him, “It’s all right, don’t walk away.  It’s best to talk about these things.”

I encouraged him to talk about what was on his mind.  After a couple of moments, he gained his composure and told me that he had gotten into a fight some time ago.  During the fight, he was thrown to the pavement, hitting his head and breaking his neck.  10 hours later he woke up from his coma in a hospital bed.  He expressed that his passion up until that point had been sports, so understandably he was devastated to be told by doctors that he could no longer be an athlete as a result of his neck injury.  If he were to continue, he would be at risk of possible paralysis, living the rest of his life in a wheelchair.  “I pretty much gave up,” he stated.  “I felt that my life was over.  Without sports, I’m a nobody.”

Looking up, the young man told me he was truly grateful to see me because, “Mr. Heagy, you don’t have the use of your hands or feet, yet you didn’t give up and accomplished many things.  I came back to tell you that I’ve changed my attitude.  I’m going to do something with my life.”  I thanked him and on his way out I yelled, “You’ll change the world!  You can do it.”  He left with tears in his eyes, but a smile on his face.

A random act connected us with an old friend who proceeded to pick up my random act and pass it on to the students.  The students were changed and challenged and I’m sure they will figure it out from there.  I just can’t help but believe that this happens everywhere.  I am grateful that the young man is not in a wheelchair, but more importantly, that he is now out of his mental and emotional wheelchair.

To your inspiration,

Ron

A note:  I want to thank everyone that has supported me over the years.  You have had such a huge impact on my life.  Your support allows me to continue doing what I do, and for that, I could not be more grateful.  My office workers/assistants are an important part of my ministry, as they act as my hands, and your support helps to cover the cost of having them.  I ask that you would consider supporting Never Give Up in order to further the mission.  If you would like to become one, please visit: www.rollonron.com/donate-never-give-up.php .  Any amount is incredibly appreciated and needed.  Thank you again!

This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

This past week I was asked some questions by a student that really got me thinking.  The questions were in regards to tragedy and how a positive outlook can affect the way a person responds to said tragedy.  After much thought, I came up with the answers below.

1. Is a positive outlook on tragedy contagious?

Answer: Yes, I believe that a positive attitude (Positive Mental Outlook, or PMO) not only energizes oneself, but those around him/her.  Visionaries have a following because those with a positive attitude and an enthusiasm for life attract other people.

1. How is a positive outlook on a tragedy affected by the tragedy itself?

Answer: In my opinion, it is better to experience a tragedy after developing a positive outlook on life.  A PMO prior to a tragic event is simpler to maintain than if you experience the event first.  I believe that if that tragedy eliminates all that you worked so hard for, it becomes even more difficult to change focus.  For example, a professional athlete who loses his ability to play the game he loves would have to learn to refocus his life on something completely new.  Those that suffer a tragedy and are able to continue doing what they enjoyed before have a better shot at maintaining a positive attitude.

1. What happens to the positive outlook on a tragedy after the tragedy is resolved?

Answer: If the person has a positive attitude going into the event, and they come out no longer feeling the effects of said event, their PMO would be substantiated and life would look even more bright.   If someone with a bad attitude experienced a tragedy and was healed, then contrary to the way they handled things in the past, this person would probably develop an attitude that is more genuinely positive.  It’s also important to note that having people influencing your life who have a PMO, along with faith in a higher power (in my case, my relationship with Christ), will bolster your own PMO during and after a tragic event.

1. Is it possible for a positive outlook on a tragedy to extend well into the person’s life after the tragedy is resolved?

Answer: Absolutely.  I think that goes without saying, except for in the case of those who are left isolated and are no longer connected to networks of support (i.e., healthcare professionals, family, friends, assistants).  With limited or no access to the public, it would be a challenge to develop or maintain a PMO in most cases.

Thank you to student, Y. J. Hwang, for asking me these questions!  So, what would be YOUR answer to each question?  Feel free to let me know by sending me an email.  A positive attitude always makes for a great discussion.  I encourage you to rate your own PMO–1 being a bad attitude, 10 being a great attitude.  I hope you find these questions thought-provoking.

To your inspiration,

Ron

This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

Over the last several years, following my presentations I have been asked on several occasions, “Have you heard of the Mouth and Foot Painters Association?”  The question left me curious, but never enough to investigate it on my own.  In arrogance, I would reply, “Oh, really?  That’s awesome, I’ll check into it.” I just never felt like I had the extra time to do so, with all of my travelling and speaking engagements.  Besides, my art was available online to view and purchase, so maybe I wasn’t missing out, right?  Wrong.

As most of you know, my speaking schedule slowed down because of health problems and the economy.  With this extra time I decided to invest more energy in my paintings, which led me back to the Mouth and Foot Painters Association.  I must admit, I felt as though I was one of only a handful of individuals who used their mouths to paint, but to my amazement, I found that there are over 800 mouth and foot painters internationally (nearly 50 in the United States, alone!).  The Mouth and Foot Painters Association website was filled with artists like me, and beautiful reproductions of their work in the form of cards, calendars, and
more.  I quickly realized that this was truly a great opportunity for me to learn and excel at a potentially professional level.  Soon I found myself filling out an application for the MFPA, however, things came to a grinding halt when I found out that it was necessary for me to send them six originals.  “I have to submit six original paintings?”  I couldn’t believe it.  “You might as well just ask me for my hands and feet!” I thought.  How could I part with any of my original paintings?  Hoping to become one of their scholars, I reluctantly submitted the six pieces.

Not long after shipping my prized paintings I received news that I had been accepted as a student!  Naturally, I was ecstatic.  Even better, I was now featured on their official website (www.mfpausa.com) as one of their American artists.  Feel free to take some time to visit the site and browse the other artists’ pages—there are some extremely gifted individuals in the MFPA!

I want to thank everyone who encouraged me to look into this great organization.  In particular, Miss Margie, a 78 year old woman, who asked me nearly 20 years ago, “Ron, have you heard of MFPA?”  To think that I didn’t need an organization to help me become a better artist was foolish.  I’m so grateful to be a part of the MFPA and to have their support, along with the support of my friends and family!

So stay tuned!  A new mouthpainting is on its way.  Oh yeah, maybe it’s time for YOU to join an organization that will further your God-given gift or talents.

To your inspiration,

Ron

This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

Nothing makes a father more proud than to see their children succeed in something that they enjoy.  I’ve been watching Roni, my 13 year old, dance since the age of five and call me a “baby,” but I cry at all of her events.  This last weekend in particular stole the show for me.  That’s because Roni’s dance team competed at the State level!  Her team even won in front of hundreds of people.  Best of all, Roni received the State All-Star Award, which focuses on character, expression and team spirit.

I thank God for the talents we are all given and I have been inspired, encouraged, and made proud.  Good job, Roni!

Roni (left) with two other award winners

I love you,

Daddy

This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

Recently, my good friend, Pastor Don, was talking to me about his little 4th grade lunch buddy.  He and his buddy would meet during lunch to encourage each other and discuss life.  Don got an idea during one of their conversations and later asked me, “Hey, would you be interested in speaking to my friend’s class?” he asked.  I immediately responded, “Well, it IS what I do!”  However, inside I was thinking, “I haven’t done too many classroom presentations in awhile.” It’s a bit more of an up-close and personal, in-your-face, no-fooling-these-kids situation.

Before I knew it, the day came and I found myself in front of nearly 30 children.  I shared my life story and told them about DIME (which you can read about in a previous blog).  It was a powerful experience for the children and me.  You could tell that the  children had learned something valuable.  I don’t know why I was so nervous!  The class and teacher’s acceptance truly calmed my nerves.  Good thing my knees don’t knock.  Twenty years later the moment still makes me nervous, but thanks to the teacher and the kids, we all had a great time.

Yesterday evening, the gray in my day turned to sunshine, when Pastor Don brought over a spiral-bound book created by the teacher and her class.  On the front was a picture of the class and inside on every page there was a typed letter with a drawing from each student.  To my amazement, at the bottom of their letters, the children used a pen clenched between their teeth to sign their name.  Every bit of inspiration that I had sent their way was sent back to me ten-fold.  I so appreciated what they had to say that I wanted to share their encouragement with you.  I call this “give and you shall receive, bless and you will be blessed.”  Now go and make it a good day!

A collage of the children's paintings

A few letters from the class. Click image to enlarge.

To your inspiration,

Ron

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This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

It’s hard to believe 33 years ago on Sunday, I dove into a wave and broke my neck while on Spring Vacation.  To pile on, the accident happened the day before my 18^th birthday.  Even now, when I reflect on this past year, I realize it has been one of the hardest years of my life.  There are lots of things that I wish I could have done differently, but for now, I’d rather focus on the good things!  Firstly, I want to thank you, all of my friends who have sent emails, letters, texts, and Facebook messages wishing me a Happy Birthday.  Speaking of birthday wishes, I want to tell you about a phone conversation that I had today with my friend, Marc.

When I picked up the phone, Marc began to sing me a really corny song, which I happily accepted, knowing that Marc can’t sing.  As we reflected over our times together, it reminded me of the time that we were knee-deep in “crud.”  Kelli and I had been on a speaking tour in Colorado some time back and were visiting with Marc, his wife Kathe, and their two boys.  That morning, Kelli had gotten me ready for two back-to-back speaking engagements and loaded me into a van with Kathe and the boys.  Marc and Kelli would meet up with us later in the day, so Kathe was going to drive me to the church.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4U6C082CyY&list=UUSUzoifeoj–AyW5iXUw69w&index=1[/youtube]

If you cannot view the video, please click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4U6C082CyY&list=UUSUzoifeoj–AyW5iXUw69w&index=1

On the way, of course the worst thing happened.  Yes, you guessed it: diarrhea.  I mean, we all know that these things can happen to anybody, but in my situation, there is no running desperately to the restroom.  It had happened before, and I’m sure it’ll happen again, but it doesn’t make it any less messy or smelly.  In fact, Kathe’s boys pulled their t-shirts up over their heads, it was so bad!  Kathe didn’t know what to do, as there really was nothing that she could do.  “What are you going to do, Ron?” she asked, concerned.  “Well, there are a lot of people coming to this event and everything has already been planned out for me to be there.  We’re just going to have to stuff paper towels under my butt and just go for it.”  With his nose plugged, Andrew squeaked, “Yeah, Mom.  He has to speak.  People came to hear him.” “But not SMELL him!” I exclaimed.  “But, the show must go on.”  We arrived at the church and I presented for both services as scheduled.  No, it wasn’t pretty and to make things worse, some of the “stuff” got into my electronics and shorted out my chair.  With no power, Kelli had to manually push me and the 300lb wheelchair.  Unbelievably, in spite of it all, God was able to use our “mess.”

Back at the ranch, Marc, who is a large man’s-man kind of guy, volunteered to help clean me up.  The consistency of the mess had changed since it was three hours after it happened.  They got me onto a bed and Kelli directed the clean-up.  Marc worked on wiping down the chair, which was shocking coming from a guy who couldn’t stand changing diapers.  He put some strange object around his nose, pulled on rubber gloves and carefully cleaned between the wires, seat pan, and control units.  Kelli and I could hear him gagging.  I whispered to Kelli, “Hey, tell Marc that a very important piece of my catheter is missing and that he might have to dig through my soiled pants.”  My humble brother started feeling through the messed pants, searching for something that we knew wasn’t there.  After a few moments, Kelli yelled, “Just kidding!”  Marc made a few rude gestures, and then we all laughed until our stomachs hurt.  I remind Marc periodically that we are “bosom brothers” for reasons like that, and many others.  It doesn’t get any better than that!  I would like to encourage you, when you’re sifting through the “crud” in life, remember that sometimes there’s nothing that you can do to change it; you just have to push through.  Thanks, Marc, for the Happy Birthday memory and thanks to you, my friend, for continuing your encouragement and friendship.

To your inspiration,

Ron

Gracie and Myself at Mattie's Latest Play

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This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

This week I was asked to speak in front of a classroom of third graders and share my story.  I posed a question to the children: if you saw a dime on the ground, would you bother to pick it up?  All the children chimed in together, “Pick it up!”  “But why would you pick it up?” I asked.   One child raised his hand to answer, “Because it has value.”  He was correct; because it has value we do not pass it by.  So, I decided to share another, even more valuable “dime” with them.  Although this “dime” has no monetary value, it is rich in life lessons.  🙂

DIME is an acronym that I like to refer to when explaining the importance of keeping a good attitude, especially with children.  They sat intently as I outlined DIME.  “’D’ is for Determination.  Does anyone know what is ‘determination?’” I began.  To my pleasant surprise a small hand went up into the air, “It means to not give up even when others want you to,” he said.   “Exactly, and the ‘I’ is for Inter-dependence,” which I explained meant being able to depend on one another for help.  “The ‘M’ is Motivation.  It is what drives you to accomplish your goals.”  I gave the example of a new sportscar sitting in a driveway.  It looks fast and powerful at first glance, but if you pop the hood and there’s no engine, that car is not going anywhere!  Motivation is the engine in your metaphorical sportscar; without it, there will be no forward progress.  The final letter is ‘E’, or Encouragement.  Much like Motivation, Encouragement is what gives you the strength to achieve what you set out to do.  Having the support of others boosts our spirit and in turn, motivates us further.

A young boy had been watching me curiously throughout the speech and I could tell he wanted to ask something.  “Are your hands real?” he inquired.  Kids can be so funny sometimes and I had to keep myself from chuckling.  I knew he must have wanted to ask that question from the moment he saw me.  “Yes, they are real—I can move them if I have a muscle spasm.”  So, using what little movement I had in my shoulders, I rocked a little in my chair to generate a small spasm.  The children laughed once I was able to get some movement going, but I quickly realized that I’d set myself up for even more questions.  That’s just fine, though—it’s what I’m here for!

So, when you wake up and reflect on the previous day, ask yourself if it was all worth it.  Don’t forget the value of a DIME!

To your inspiration,

Ron

This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

Looking over the steering wheel I could see the speedometer quickly approaching 100 mph.  98…99…100…101: I had broken the landspeed record for a quadriplegic.  I eased up on the accelerator and navigated the car back to the crew waiting at the starting line, which we called the “Quad Squad.”  These guys are the ones responsible for making this impossible drive possible.  As I pulled back on the mouthstick, the car came to a stop.  The first “Quad Squad” member to greet me was Ed Tolon, who practically dove into the driver-side window.  He wrapped his arms around my neck and kissed me on the cheek.  For such a manly guy, this was surprising.  “He did it!” he screamed, “I knew you could!”  I looked him in the eye and replied, “No, WE did it.  Without you guys this never would have happened.”

A few weeks ago, I sat beside Ed’s little bed, where he was nestled in the corner with a computer and a flat screen TV.  Regrettably, I was visiting for a special reason.  Ed had terminal lung cancer, and was beginning to decline. “How quickly things happen,” I thought.”  One minute you’re on Cloud 9 and then the next…

Ed was weak and barely could get out of bed, but was able to talk to me.  We laughed and shared stories for nearly an hour.  Not knowing what to say, I just let conversation carry itself.  It was somewhat bittersweet.  During our conversation, I looked up on the wall where Ed had hung a few pictures.  I was amazed to see a picture of my little Gracie riding on my footrest.  The shot did not include me, just my feet and Gracie.  “Man, that’s a cool picture,” I said. Ed piped up, “One of my favorites.  It was when you were thanking people for helping on the car.”  Ed slowly pulled off his covers and painfully stepped over to his walker and then to the desk.  He crawled onto the desk and reached for the picture above.  “Hey, bro, don’t fall.  I’m a quadriplegic and won’t be of much help!” I exclaimed.  He pulled the picture of Gracie from his wall and laid it on my legs.  I told him he didn’t need to do that, and he replied with a smile, “What am I going to do with it?”

That day when I left, Ed gave me three pearls of wisdom: don’t smoke, focus on people not things, and thank God for each day because you never know when you will not have tomorrow.

Ed has gone to be with the Lord since then and yesterday Kelli and I drove to his service in Vancouver, Washington to celebrate his life.  It was a beautiful, clear day; a day he would have enjoyed.  We met with his wife and sons, along with the rest of his family and the members of the “Quad Squad.”  We are so thankful for Ed Tolon’s life, love and friendship.

I experienced 100mph of pure exhilaration, not knowing two years later the man that kissed me would enter heaven.  What I have from Ed is fond memories and a photo to remind me of what can so easily be taken for granted–no car in the background, not even my image, because it is not about me.  Let us pray as we face our day: “Lord, please give me the strength to focus on others.”  In closing, thank you my brother, Ed, and your family for touching my life.

Ed's Note

To your inspiration,

Ron

This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

As I sat in my van, I heard a loud crack followed by the shutdown of all the dashboard lights.  It went dark and eerily quiet.  “Try turning the key again,” I said nervously to my caregiver.  She turned the key again and again in vain, but the van sat dead.  “How could the van go from full-power to absolutely nothing, not even a dome light?” I asked.  “Now what are we going to do?”

Have you ever had a time in your life where nothing seemed to go right and each new day would bring new challenges that only compounded all the existing negativity?  Have you ever asked yourself, “When will all of this negativity go away?  Why can’t things be positive and good for just awhile?”  Perhaps you have felt like yelling this, as I have.

My mechanical-minded nature prompted me to run through possible scenarios.  I knew it must be something electrical, so I asked my caregiver to pop the hood and roll down the window in order to tell her what to do.  Of course there was no way to roll down a power-operated window without power (duh!), so all we could do was leave the passenger door ajar.  I told her to try wiggling the wires connected to the battery.  Naturally, she was a bit reluctant as she hadn’t done this before, but I reassured her.  However, the wiggling didn’t work and to make matters worse, we were going to be late picking Gracie up from Awana’s.  There was no way we would be able to find a wheelchair-accessible van in time, especially because we were in the middle of nowhere.

I was sure it was a loose connection, but we just couldn’t pinpoint the problem.  Thank God my caregiver’s boyfriend was nearby and was able to come help.  He hooked up his jumper cables to the van’s battery, generating a spark.  Sure enough, the negative cable had been disconnected and needed to be tightened.  Once it was tightened, the van fired up to the relief of us all.  God was certainly watching out for me again!

This experience made me realize that life is an awful lot like a battery.  We cannot have it positive all the time, or as I should say, without the negative we wouldn’t know what the positive is.  We must be grounded by the negative in order to experience the “spark” of life.  Most of the time, it’s the so-called “negative” circumstances that bring about the positive.  Pain and pressure is what make us stronger.  Just like a battery, without the negative, there is no power, and without power our vehicle cannot run.

To your inspiration,

Ron

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This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

Last weekend I was feeling a bit down and discouraged. I kept beating myself up for mistakes that I had made in the past and was feeling as if I was a disappointment to God. Even as I write this, I feel it sounds silly and pessimistic, but the honest truth was my feelings were real. The more I allowed myself to think negative thoughts and refused forgiveness, the deeper my discouragement became. I realized that way of thinking was getting me nowhere fast. I decided to do something for someone else.

Earlier in the week a friend had mentioned that they visited nursing homes to make others happy. So, I thought it’d be a great idea to take my two daughters, Roni and Gracie, to the Dollar Tree to purchase Valentine cards for nursing home residents. My girls signed the cards and prepared them to be handed out.  We arrived at the nursing home with our surprises in hand and smiles on our faces. The first floor we visited was designated for physical rehabilitation patients. We were so excited to bring our gifts to the residents. Some of them had not had visitors in quite a while, so our visit was a welcome and joyous one.

On our way to the bottom floor, there was a change in atmosphere. It felt dark and my heart immediately felt heavy. Unlike most of the residents in physical rehabilitation who would one day be able to return home, the residents on the bottom floor lived there permanently. This was likely the last place that they would live, which was an unhappy thought. Yet, in the midst of this environment, Roni and Gracie were able to bring a smile to the many troubled faces. It was almost as if our presence was a light that pierced through the darkness, if only for a moment. Once again, I could feel things coming back into perspective for my own life.

I left the nursing home with a feeling of gratitude. I was forced to focus on the blessings that I do have. Even though my challenges are real, all of my feelings come down to this: I have a choice. I can either focus on what I have or focus on all the things I wish I had. Again, it is easy to get blind-sided by this flashy world and our lists of accomplishments.  I have been blessed by true friendships and God has given me a testimony that I can share with others to point them back to what is real in this world. I matter, I am loved and God has a plan for me. He has one for you too!

The girls and I are truly thankful for what we have. In closing, I want to thank you for being my friend; I appreciate your encouragement. Today I challenge you, the next time that you feel discouraged as I did, to go visit a place where you are reminded that you are blessed.

For a little added inspiration, I also have made a video that I would like to share with you.  Please enjoy!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heO7Ze62KsE&list=UUSUzoifeoj–AyW5iXUw69w&index=1[/youtube]

If you cannot view video, please click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heO7Ze62KsE&list=UUSUzoifeoj–AyW5iXUw69w&index=1

To your inspiration,

Ron

This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

When people ask me what my favorite bird is, to their surprise I respond “the hummingbird.”  I’m amazed by their beautiful radiant colors, their speed, and their precision in flight. When I was growing up my mother always had hummingbird feeders hanging from the eaves.  I would watch them feed and at times I would see how close I could get before they flittered away.  One time when I was younger, I attached the feeder to the collar of my sweatshirt and stood as still as a statue hoping that one little bird would feed.  Shockingly, two of them dive-bombed me; one landing on my shoulder and one on the feeder. I stood there silently amazed by the wonder of this delicate creature.  It was one of the most awesome feelings I’ve had in relationship to God’s magnificent creation.  So, when I recently started a new mouth-painting project, I chose the hummingbird as my subject.

Over the past three months, the small details of two hummingbirds in flight slowly emerged.  I was excited to finally complete the painting and move onto a new project.  A few days ago, a friend had come by to watch me paint for a bit.  During our conversation, they mentioned a tearoom downtown.  This gave me a brilliant idea, as I know a certain little girl who happens to love tea parties.

Gracie at Ivy Garden

So, I set my painting aside and took my daughter, Gracie, to the Ivy Garden Tearoom for a special Daddy-Daughter outing.  It was the experience of a lifetime as we sat amongst flowers, frills, and the most colorful collection of tea sets.  While we sipped our tea and ate little morsels of food, I could see Gracie was captivated by the tea sets that decorated the room.  I thought to myself, “Here is an experience even more awesome than a hummingbird landing on your shoulder.”  It’s amazing how when we take our focus off of our work (as enjoyable as it may be) and instead invest it in someone dear to us, how much more joy we receive.  Of course, I couldn’t leave without first buying Gracie her own tea set to commemorate our time together.

Gracie and Dad share a "spot" of tea.

We left the quiet and fanciful world of the tearoom and merged into traffic and the chaos of reality.  Following such a tranquil experience, I was feeling overwhelmed and began to reflect on the materialism of our modern society.   It is perplexing how easily distracted we are from what truly matters.  Maybe you should stop, as I did, and turn your eyes towards the beauty of God’s creation.  There is so much to be thankful for, even down to the littlest hummingbird.  While you go about your daily activities, I encourage you to think deeply about all that He has given us—now go make it a good day!

To your inspiration,

Ron

This is Ron with your Motivational Message:

Happy New Year!  I look forward to 2013 and truly know it will be better than 2012.  Also, the end of the world didn’t come, so think of 2013 as a bonus year, right?  Thank you for your prayers and support; it is always an encouragement to hear from you.

If you travelled by plane during the holidays, perhaps you can understand the frustration of air travel.  Recently, I was asked what it was like for me to fly and if I was able to stay in my wheelchair during the flight.  The question surprised me a little; air regulations do not allow for individuals to remain seated in their wheelchair.  The truth is, I must be carried from my wheelchair in the waiting area, onto the airplane, and then placed into a seat.  This is always a challenge because unlike a car, which has a chest belt, an airplane seat only has a lap belt.  Ironic, given that I have no upper body control.  It makes me wonder why they aren’t required for air travel.  Well, I guess a chest belt wouldn’t make much of a difference during a 600mph crash.

For most people who are wheelchair-bound, they are given what is called an “aisle chair” so that they may board the airplane.  Whomever designed the aisle chair was clearly not a quadriplegic—the chair looks like two 2x 10s attached to form an L-shape.  There’s no padding and very little chair to actually sit on.  I’ve been dumped on the floor on more than one occasion and so I now require two people to lift me; one lifting from under the knees and one lifting from under the arms.  The person behind me walks backward, the person under my knees navigates forward.  It is never a simple task, but it’s the “only way to fly” for me.

On one of my trips, the person that was sent onboard to assist in the lift and transfer was no ordinary man.  He was a huge, hulk of a man who looked like he had been benchpressing houses.  The plane was stopped for a layover, so many of the passengers remained onboard and were in a hurry to get back in the air.  In an attempt to make a speedy exit, “Super Man” lifted me out of the chair high and fast.   The only problem was, he had lifted me while facing the wrong way and now three adults would have to turn in the tight aisle way.  During our turn, my face was unfortunately pressed against his sweaty, hairy chest.  I wondered if this experience could get more uncomfortable.

After the sloppy about-face, we were finally heading off the plane.  On our way through the First Class cabin a couple of businessmen gave me a look of disgust.  I thought to myself, “What are you jerks looking at?”  Then, while my helpers sat me down into my wheelchair in the lobby, I noticed an airline attendant was also giving me a strange look.  “What is everyone’s problem?”  I thought.  As I looked down at myself I realized what all the fuss had been about.  My pants had fallen while I was being carried and were now down to my knees.  I couldn’t move my arms, so I did my best to get the attention of my caregiver.  She dived across my lap in an attempt to spare my dignity, but it was too late.  My bare butt had been undoubtedly exposed to all whom I passed by, crack and all.

I looked back at the flight attendant and asked, “Did you peek?”  She bashfully replied, “No!  I didn’t see anything!”  Everyone started laughing hysterically until a security officer came up to me and informed me that I was under arrest.  I couldn’t imagine why I would be arrested, and asked him for an explanation.  He stated that I was in possession of “crack,” and then laughed.  Although I didn’t actually get arrested, this story is typical of my travels.  I hope this made you laugh or at least made you “crack” a smile.  Sometimes we just need to laugh off the things that don’t go according to plan and we get caught with our pants down.  Our challenge today is this question: is the circumstance or situation that I/we are experiencing truly worth wasting time, energy, and resources on?  Maybe we just need to laugh, pull up our pants and move on.  Let’s go change a life in 2013!

To your inspiration,

Ron