The woman is blocking my path, thrusting the wheelchair at my legs.‘I don’t need a wheel chair,’ I tell her for the second time. ‘I am visually impaired but there is nothing wrong with my legs.’She is having none of it however. Here in Philadelphia airport the disabled Are Assisted In A Wheelchair, dammit!‘It will be faster,’ she says. . She is pretty solid and behind her is a rattled looking security guard. Behind me the passengers are getting restless […]
Overcast
Oh hell! I said I would post at the end of the week…LAST week! I am very sorry. I have STILL been faffing around with my MA manuscript. Had another deadline on Friday and now have another two week extension!! Don’t get me wrong. I am VERY grateful for the extra few days especially for help with the proofing. It’s just that the pressure has been full on for quite some time now and I am a little grouchy with […]
Grovelling abject apologies!
Apologies…I am alive and well but struggling with MA dissertation deadlines. Thank you everyone who read and commented on my last post! Such a pleasure to get such powerful feedback. Much to tell you…only right now I have to pull a novel out of my …. head and so am being more than a little hopeless. Will post properly later this week. Tanvir
Holey Vision: The Grumpy Girl’s Guide To Surviving Sight Loss
This speech was given on Saturday 17th September 2010 to the National Talking Newspapers Convention in Peterborough. Good evening! First a disclaimer: this post supper instructional talk will include flashing images – for me that is not for you…also a little blurring and distortion. There will be strong language and it will certainly contain nuts.Also please note that all opinions expressed are those of the author. Other visually impaired or blind experiences may vary. To be frank I was initially […]
Unbolted
I have twice been on a horse bolting from a snake. The horse bolting that is,, not me. This month felt strangely familiar; the puff adder being Dad’s illness and some of the dreadful things arising around it. The horse I suppose being the future, unknown and out of control. My desperate grip and my balance a mixture of experience and optimism and the reins and bridle that will eventually bring the horse into a calm and more controllable state […]
Dirty Girl
My flat is a tip. I am wading through teetering piles of paper, mostly study notes, bills and election leaflets. I ran out of hoover bags about..err…1998 actually and the dog has shed me a new carpet. There is stuff congealed on the cooker that seems to be sprouting tentacles and the fridge won’t open in embarrassment. And it’s a bank holiday which means we woke to lashing rain and howling winds. By midday the sun has made an effort […]
I see Spring!
Hito koishi hitobushi koro wo sakara chiru ‘Yearning fills my heart When the candles are lit: Cherry blossom fall.’ Shirao Kayo (Edo Period)