National Health Awareness Month

There's a new catch phase in the western world, "time poor!". Despite living society full of technology and time saving devices like never before. There seems to be one cry louder than ever, "I haven't got time?" My hunch is if you haven't got time to do something then it probably is not that important to you. Which is very sad when you think about what some people clam they haven't got time for.

Things like sitting down to dinner with the family; helping the kids with their homework or reading them a book before bed; watching your son play in his first grand finial; attending your daughter graduation; a parent-teacher interview; exercise, medical appointments, forget dinner with the family we're now eating on the run and even skipping meals; and some people even claim in a 24/7 world the don't always have time to sleep. Our basic human needs are being ignored because we supposedly live in a 'time poor' society.   

Yet living 24/7 means we have so many more things available on demand. We are no long locked in to our jobs 9 to 5; we control when we watch TV and if we're that desperate to watch the Grand finial of the NRL than we can take it with us on mobile. 

Most people use the same mobile for work and personal use meaning when we walk out the office we carry our jobs with us in our pockets or hand bags, but even worst skill we take it on holidays! That's crazy our clients or suppliers don't know when we're on holidays. However an even more worrying trend is despite answering machines and caller ID we still answer the phone in case it's 'urgent'.

Not only do we carry our office with us on our mobile phones but on our lap tops and ipads. Living in a global economy means we can attend meetings via the internet and someone those may be in the early hours of the morning. 

However it is not only our work lives that are impacted by these new technologies but also our so call down time. Being able to play computer games via an internet connection and link with other players around the world means players become lost in a time zone and seemed dazzled when the sun comes up as if sleep its self has been forgotten. For some social interactions means engaging with others on social network sites or gaming sites.

Meaningful interactions outside the home or even the bedroom for many technology savey teenagers have become non-existent. Given that is it any wonder we can’t find time to even have a simple meal together.

October is National Health Awareness month. Our wellbeing is much more than about nutrition and daily exercise. It encompasses our whole being intellectual, emotional or psychological; social, spiritual and physical self. I have already shared my interruption of modern technology on our lifestyles, In the mist of all the cries about being `time poor’ well one wonders if we have any awareness of our health and wellbeing at all. Meeting out health needs seems to have gotten lost somewhere in cyber space

We can’t get back yesterday, but we can make choices about how to ‘live well’ tomorrow.  

The challenge this month is to make one change in your life to impact on your wellbeing in a positive way.

As you are aware October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month so my two blogging campaigns this month go well together. Each October I hold a Girls In, to raise money and awareness of women’s cancer – Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer and Ovarian Cancer as with all health conditions, prevention and early detections are the key to defeating cancer. The means taking notice of the changes in our body and visiting our GP for regular check ups.

May be sometime this month you can make time to have a family dinner or have a meaningful conversation with a friend over coffer instead of a chat room conversation or many be have than annual check up with your doctor that you haven’t done to 3 . . . 4 . . .or 5  years. Because we can never get back our yesterdays.

Organ Donors

Australia has one of the lowest rates of organ donations in the word. It is a topic to rarely discussed in the media and with family and loved ones. Yet the wait list for organ transplants effects many lives. Firstly it effects the lives of those waiting for an organ donation. Imagine carrying your mobile round 24/7 desperately wait for a call while the hours of your life tick down. Secondly this wait affects the lives of the loved ones who have family members on the waiting list. As well as the stress of waiting with a loved one for the phone call that could save there lives; they also have the physical demands of caring for a sick loved one. I can't begin to imagine the daily stress this places on a family. 

There are another group of people who are affect by the long waiting lists for organ donations and that is the families of loved ones who have just passed away. Some where in an emergency or ICU, in an Australian hospital to day a family will be asked to consider organ donation. This terrible fate could affect your family at any time. You find yourself in shock and grief and having to make a decision about donating their organs at the same time as you have to say good-bye and turn off the life support. Meanwhile somewhere in Australia your love ones organs are desperately want by people who are dying on waiting lists. Sadly too many on transplants lists pass away before donors are found.

What about you? Do you know what you would say if you were asked to donate a love ones organs? Have you discussed this with your family? I know I haven't. Like many families no one likes to discuss death and the many issues and decisions surrounding a loves one death.

This letter come from a fellow blogger, who has ask me to do two things, pass the letter on to you Open Letter and write to the Premier of Victoria concerning organ transplant waiting time. I am forwarding this letter on to you and I am asking you too Too Spread The Word.

May I encourage you to talk to your loved ones about your wishes concerning organ donation. Alternatively you can registered at Organ Donors Register   

Signed

Debbie Chilton 

Keep the letter moving   

Take out your gym gear and put on your running shoes . . .

October is Health & Wellbeing Month 

My person goals this October are to 

1.    drink 8 glasses of water per day.

2.    Post 2 a week on my health & wellbeing status

3.    Promote awareness of Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer and Cervical Cancer. This will be achieved through writing a blog and holding a Girls Night In. See Deb's Girl Night In

I

Hey Mate!

Do you think you could

include me in, this week?

~ Debbie ~

What is Disability Action Week?

Empower, Embrace, Everybody!

September 18th to 24th is Disability Action Week. A week long celebration in which Queenslanders embrace the achievements of people with disabilities, their families and those who care for them. Te week aims to promote and encourage the abilities of people in our community who have disability. It also encourages us to have a positive attitude about the abilities of those different to us and promote equal access to the community and its lifestyle.

As a person with a disability I personally want to be acknowledge for my achievements as a  member of  'my community' not as a person who happens to have a few more challenges in life! I am not handicap only 'words' and 'attitudes' can handicap us. You don't need a medical diagnosed having a disability to handicap yourself or others!

So when everybody is different? What is the difference?

Have a great week of celebration!     

Statistics Of Normal

When I was studying statistical analysis at University 'Normal' was a point on a statistical curve where the majority of people would fall. Another reference point we would use was the mean, a statistical range which most people would fall between. However as members of  Society, our social conditioning often dictates what is the 'norm' or considered 'normal' .  Let me demonstrate what I mean by giving examples from my own social setting. Consider me in a busy shopping centre as a person with a disability; most fellow shoppers may not consider me 'normal'. But consider this, 'put me in a room of 40 something women and I may be considered as being of normal age, even if I still do not conform to what other's consider as normal.'

Now try a room of people with degrees. My Tertiary Education might make me appear normal, but how many in the same room have some type of disability? How about a room of published authors am I normal because I have published a book or outside the 'norm' because I have CP? I'll let you decide. What if I am in a room of people with CP, magically I appear 'normal'. Hey I just had a crazy thought put me in a room of women with CP who have a degree, and have published a book, then one surely could not argue I was not normal. The number of people in the room doesn't play a role in this statistical equation it's just the description or label of people in the room that is being argued.

What you may be wondering is my point? Simple, the definition of 'normal' is situational. It changes from one situation to the next. If a group of people with disabilities go to see a movie and the total number of people with disabilities, falls within the mean then it is normal for a person with a disability to go to the movies. As stereotypes exist in our society at least statistically Behavioural Scientists can challenge the misconception of the 'norm' and otherwise.

However, this is not the aim of my blog. My blog is to provide real life illustrations to challenge the misconceptions about people in society who appear to be different to those around us. I hope my blog today has challenged the notion that people with disabilities are generally uneducated.

Judge for yourself if I am normal or otherwise?

Debbie Chilton (c) Copyright. 2009

* Reposted from my blog Escape by Pen

Let's Talk Ability!

LITTLE GEMS!

I may have a disability,

But let’s focus on ABILITIES!

My would contains many gems,

So let me share a few of them.

To fight for those who can’t speak,

To look for answers they can’t seek,

To be a voice through my pen,

By spilling out my little gems.

I look at the world with different eyes,

To share my secrets with the unwise,

To learn to laugh, love and play,

To plan adventures for future days!

To challenge that of status quo,

To laugh even when I’m feeling low,

To inspire people to dream,

Challenging them to swim up stream,

To show the world a different way,

Inviting them to come and play,

Although I need to bend the rules,

I too can play to secure my jewels.

Ok so my gems may differ,

And you play a little quicker,

I can still win this game of life,

Gaining my piece of paradise.

Debbie Chilton (c) Copyright 2010

Expression of my ABILITY through poetry

SOMETHING TO SAY

Hey you! Out there!

I’ve got something to say,

I’ll only take a moment of your time,

While I rap my little rhyme.

Hey you! Out there!

I’ve got something to say,

Please don’t choose to walk by,

I know my speech is different that’s why,

I shout, Hey you! Out there!

I’ve got something to say,

Please don’t turn your heads away,

Come walk in my shoes and see things my way.

Hey man what you doing out there?

Come in here I’ve got something to say,

Now we all have to live in society,

So lets enjoy our variety.

You out there, yes you!

Listen, hear me, I’ve got something to say.

You may see me as weak,

And wish me not to speak.

But I’ll scream and shout!

Hey you! Out there!

I’ve got something to say,

Here we go, hey!

Copyright (c) Debbie Chilton

It is not my practise to post poetry on this blog. My blog Word Play is where you can read my poetry. But there is much of my writing that focus disabilities, misconceptions about people with disabilities; disability not ruling out a person having abilities of their own and my passion to be a voice for those who can't voice there desire for equality with those who describe themselves as 'normal'. 

In this week of celebrating disABILITY I thought it adapt to share my 'poet self'. After all my ability to write poetry is something I want to celebrate this week! 

I don't have something to say, I have much to say! 

Time to celebrate our ABILITIES

This week is Disability Action Week. Its not a week to focus on our disabilities, nor a week to educate the public about disabilities or different types of disabilities, rather its a week of celebrating and embracing our whole being. People with disabilities are much more than the limitations their disability present. I am a believer in everybody has a talent of some description. In the main as a creative person I often find myself responding to people's comments, Your so creative, I'm not creative in anyway. What?


Do you cook? Can you make a sandwich? Well, you know last time I checked these two things required one to 'create' or bring something into being!

We humans are funny creatures, we focus so often on what we can't do or what we don't like about ourselves. I'm too short, I wear glasses, I can't spell, I'm not creative, I'm a messy person, Sorry, I haven't washed the car; I've got nothing to wear, I can't cook! You get the picture, we are very SKILLED at making negative statements.

Ok, now close you eyes and imagine your husband, wife, best friend or mother standing before you. 'Is that what there going to describe 'as what they see'? I don't think so! Well, my friends don't describe me to there other friends as being a short, overweight person who wears glasses. In the main I am introduce by the quality of my 'person-hood' that person most values in me. This is Debbie a lifelong 'friend', so my friendship is the 'gift' that that friend most values.

Our friends a very gifted as seeing us in a positive light and yet they will say, 'I am just a mother and housewife'. They do see the value and skills in either of those roles. In the main as a society we are 'skilled' at making disabling statements. If we say we can't do something, then that's it! A negative statement is made putting a 'mental brick wall' before us that we can't move around. These types of statements and attitudes are disabling. We do not have to wear a 'disable' tag to 'disable' ourselves.

Is it then any wonder we disabled others in our community. Our 'attitudes' and 'words' are more disabling than any physical; intellectual; behavioural; psychological or sensory disability can ever be. I know many people who need 24 hour assistance with daily living activities and yet I see their smile, their sense of humour, I am totally in awe of their ability to communicate with their eyes, if I could only point and indicate with my eyes, I'd be so disabled, but not so these people in my life.

Like me the have discovered their passions, interests, abilities skills, talents and love for life! One person I know until recently was non-verbal and still needs 24 hour assistance, for me the fact that she has leant to talk in her thirties (being born with CP) is a testimony of how disabling our attitudes can be, including me. My friend is a very talented artist and even before she learned to speak, communicating with her through her American  accent communication board told me her vocabilly was much more extensive than mind.

Anyone who knows the story of 'Anne's Coming Out' knows how disabling the belief that these people were also had profound intellectually disabilities resulted in immense disabling and a lifetime of curtly and intellectual starvation.

This week is not about what me and my friends can and can't do. Its about celebrating and embracing who we are. It about ceasing the day and living life to the MAX!

My challenge to you and myself  this week is not to make disabling statements or assumptions about ourselves or others.

CELEBRATE YOUR ABILITIES THIS WEEK!