Blog - Page 47 of 78 - Ruth Madison

Can You Spot the Difference?

It’s really strange to me that the general population does not seem to be aware that there are different kinds of wheelchairs. Not just that there’s a difference between manual and power, but that some are ugly. My mom told me one day about seeing a man using a wheelchair at the ashram. I said, “Was it a sexy wheelchair?” She looked at me blankly, then said she had no idea. Most people don’t seem to think of wheelchairs as sexy or not sexy. Yet, if I ask a paraplegic friend a question like that, he or she knows *exactly* what I’m talking about. I was watching a TV show I just discovered called Lie To Me. They had one episode where there’s a character who uses a wheelchair. He’s introduced during a wheelchair...

Disability: Excuse or Explanation?

This is a fundamental question in my own life. When faced with something that is challenging because of my autism, do I accept that it is not worth the trouble to do it or do I force myself through my difficulties to do it anyway? Partly, of course, it depends what it is. But what is my default? Before I knew that I had Asperger’s, I worked very hard to keep up with my peers. I pushed myself to do things out of my comfort zone. My strong desire was to stay quietly at home, to not stretch, to not engage in the world. I was all about self-improvement, though, and I saw others going out to make their fortune, as they used to say in adventure books. I moved out of my parents’ house, out of the State, and forced myself to live independently. I’m...

Romantic Friday Writers: Whispers

http://fridaynightwriters.blogspot.com/ This blog has a challenge for writers of romance/love stories to write 400 words on a theme each Friday. The theme this week is Whispers. This week I continue on with Kaitlyn and Jason, characters who have been featured in my last four or so Friday posts! Starting in November, I’ll be doing National Novel Writing Month, and I plan to use the weekly challenges to expand the book I’ll be working on. So, the next two weeks will probably be the last of Kaitlyn and Jason for a while. Word Count: 383 Full Critique is Fine (In fact, have absolutely no fear of being too harsh with me. I value intense criticism because I think it will make me a stronger and better writer. Over years of workshops and critiques, I have...