I believe everyone has a story to tell. This is mine.
I am 80 years old. I have been married three times and have four children, two boys and two girls. I have 10 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.
I was in the work force for 41 years, 35 with the Government of Canada and six with the Hanley Corporation, the local Tim Hortons franchise in Belleville where I now live. I was a member of the Board of Directors of the local chapter of the MS Society for 18 years and served on the Trenton District Council of the Boy Scouts of Canada for five years. I wrote five books (not quite of the James Patterson or John Grisham level). I worked at a local speedway for 10 years where I wrote many articles for the local newspapers. I have been hit by two cars and a train and I survived them all.
My travels have taken me to Florida many times when we owned a mobile home there. I have been on two Caribbean cruises and three trips to Las Vegas. I have been to the east coast three times, once by train, once by air and once by car. I travelled from Halifax to Belleville by train alone and was treated like royalty by the staff. I took my family on a five week camping trip to northern Ontario, and did four trips to Michigan Speedway, located near Detroit, Michigan.
I almost forgot to tell you that I was born with no use of my legs and have been in a wheelchair all my life. I drove my own car until two unsuccessful rotator cuff surgeries ended my driving abilities.
I hope my story will inspire other people with a handicap. There is no limit to the things you can accomplish. I don't believe in feeling sorry for myself because there is always someone out there that is worse off than me. I learned at an early age that it takes all kinds of people to make up this crazy world we live in. There are short ones, fat ones, skinny ones and tall ones. They come in all shapes, colours and sizes. I'm easy to spot. I’m the one in the wheelchair.
