Ramifications
Author: Tony Trott
Let me explain what happened to me recently: Sheri and I had been out with friends one evening this past week and when I was entering the crosswalk (with the signal) to cross the street in front of the building where we live, a person made a right-on-red without stopping. I don’t know why she did this; maybe she 
was trying to save a little time, but that did not occur.
I, like many other wheelchair and scooter users, stop and look warily before crossing the street at certain intersections. It is sad to say that I almost expect a driver to not be paying attention, and in this case, I’m very glad that is my practice. As the driver zoomed to make a right turn, I was able to stop in time to prevent what could have been a serious accident! As it was, the driver, who was not paying attention to her surroundings, made a very tight turn and her car sideswiped the front of my scooter. The driver did pull over and was very shaken up (as she should be). Sheri took her information, including cell phone and email address. In retrospect, we should’ve taken a picture of her license plate and maybe even filed a police report. But she said she would reimburse me for whatever damage occurred, so hopefully we will have a positive resolution of the matter.
My scooter didn’t tip at all and I wasn’t hurt or even extremely shaken from this incident. However, my scooter did not fare as well. Something in the steering column is not working correctly and the front wheel will not turn. Luckily, Sheri and I were with friends, because I needed help to physically turn the front of the scooter so I could get home. I had to maneuver into and out of the elevator and then into the front door of our condo. Without assistance from individuals who could lift the front of the scooter and manually point it where it should go, I would’ve been stuck outside and Sheri would have had to go get help.
I do own a manual wheelchair, which I use in our condo, so it’s not like I’m stuck on the couch or in bed until the scooter gets fixed. However, my life is adversely impacted. I need my scooter to do most things out of the house; for instance I am not able to attend a Georgetown basketball game this weekend, I have to miss time at the gym (exercise is my form of treatment for my type of cancer B-Cell Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma), and, I had to cancel a medical appointment.
And meanwhile, depending on how long it takes to get the necessary parts and how complicated the fix is, I can’t plan in advance and need to come up with alternatives for getting places in my manual chair if there is someplace out of the house that I need to be, like an upcoming family gathering. Sheri and I would likely go to this event by Metro, but if I don’t have my scooter fixed we will have to arrange a ride. Not the end of the world, but still annoying.
So, while I am not trying to imply that there is any way for us to know what all the ramifications of our actions will be, or the result of actions by others, it’s a pretty safe bet that there will be some unknown ones. While I wait to hear how long it will take to get the parts to fix my scooter and how much it will cost, I’m focusing on the reality that you can’t control everything in life, and as they say, sometimes you have to just roll with the punches. So let’s all just try to keep that in mind, and, for God’s sake, slow down and be aware of your surroundings when driving and making a right-on-red!
our own pace, all at the same time doing our work, helping family members or others, and being a parent, partner, sister, brother, or dear friend. One of the things I often joke about with students that I mentor is that, “Sometimes adulthood stinks.”
do over. Other times, something happens and we think it is the end of the world but we can pick ourselves up and try again whether it is a task, reaching a goal in a different way, or just going to bed and starting again the next day.
at a certain time or to a certain person is something that we all have to deal with separately. For some it is through faith, others through meditation and/or spirituality, and others by going out and exercising or other fun and distracting activities (my husband would argue that playing X-Box is the perfect remedy!). But one thing I know, is that you must find a way to deal with the why. Otherwise you will spend your life questioning. No matter what happens, life will continue to go on. It may be harder, it may be darker for a little while, or even dark for a long time.
it. Buy a card. Go out and help someone in need. Do something! Yes, even a short text message saying “I care” is acceptable in some cases. But if you sit and dwell on the why and the sadness you will become immovable. And it doesn’t matter if you need to ask for help. You are not weak. Whether it be a support group, a doctor, a nurse, and sometimes even a stranger, there are good people in this world. And they may not be the richest or look like they have everything they want in life, but I can guarantee you that there is a lot behind the curtain.
for the remainder of my life, I’d be a much-sought-after big band composer/arranger (and maybe win a few Grammy Awards along the way!).
As stated above, music was my first choice and I was enjoying the ride on that train for quite a while until it slowly started to derail due to my physical issues. Because I saw what was happening to me, I knew I needed to figure out a way to change course because my first choice was starting to derail. So, I went back to school and got my graduate degree to be a special education teacher. In another few years, that train started to derail (mainly due to my hearing issues associated with my degenerative disability) and I once again changed course and became a counselor for other people with disabilities. That became increasingly difficult (again, mainly due to my progressive hearing issue) and I resigned from my job to take a big leap and start a new business with my wife, Happy on Wheels, LLC.
