Writing Is My Medium
In a past life (which is to say, from my early 20s to my late 30s, not the prior iteration of me who unsuccessfully struggled to break free from this blasted samsara), I was a writer. Professionally, that is. But I started from a young age and writing has always been a mechanism by which to explore and develop thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. In that way, this site is as much for me as it is for you (and if it isn't for you, no offence taken - surely millions of superior sites out there offer sage advice about this and that from unlicensed sages).
This isn't a place to find targeted information about something quickly. So, yes, it's a website that fails to meet the fundamental purpose of a website. Perhaps it should be called something else. Call it anything you like. Just not a pomegranate. It's not a pomegranate.
Writing can be a form of meaning-making, in which we derive significance from our experiences, emotions, and interactions, enhancing our sense of wellbeing. Exploring ideas through writing, then challenging them socially, helps me understand my world. Sharing what I write publicly provides a means of expanding that discourse.
The typewriter was gifted to me by a client of ours. It weighs as much as an air conditioner and doesn't have a single piece of plastic. Still works. Displayed prominently in our house. My daughter frequently types cryptic poetic messages for us to find.
A new script for aging & disability
Germ theory in the late 1800s revolutionized our understanding of disease and lay the groundwork for the Medical Model in the 20th Century. We moved to Identifying biological causes for disease and and biological treatments, away from the four humors and superstition. The number of lives saved and extended is beyond measure.
An unfortunate byproduct of the medical model was a mentality of treating a person with a disease as broken, in need of fixing, akin to machine repair. Imagine the impact this had on society's view of older adults and individuals with disabilities. Under the medical model, they are problems that can't be fixed. It's easy to marginalize someone who is viewed as a problem rather than a human.
Venerating our elders starts with returning to a healthier sensibility about aging. Meanwhile, not every disability can be seen and easily accommodated by a ramp or elevator. It's everyone's responsibility to help create communities in which every member of it feels successful, regardless of their level of function. We need a new script. I'd like to help write it.
That's an antique stair glide in the house of one of my clients, in Germantown, Philadelphia. The motor is in the basement. Fully operational. Old things are so cool.
about me
My mission is helping individuals with health- and age-related challenges live their best lives at home. I achieve this by supporting the Person as a health & wellness coach and adapting the Environment through home modification and remodeling.
This site is a way for you - potential client or family member of one - to learn about who I am and why I chose this path in life. I have an aging mom who lives alone in another state, and want to know and trust the people involved in her care just as much as you.
That's us after I finished my first 50-mile ultramarathon. She was there for me at multiple aid stations along the way, just as she's always been there for me. I'm a head taller now only because of her shoulders on which I stand.