Message from the Mountain
- jeffp
- Mar 31
- 2 min read
April 2025/Issue #10
The Perception of Others.
I work with a gentleman who is in a wheelchair. I have been watching how people interact with him and I find it to be a complex scenario. The reactions range from people treating him as if he is helpless, to sympathy, and then complete avoidance. There are few people who have treated him like everyone else.
I have tried to put myself into his place and wonder how I would want to be treated, but I can't think of anything different. Equality is what I am thinking about. How hard is it to treat someone with a disability the same as you would treat someone without one? I wonder if it is related to a guilt complex or similar.
As people stood watching in amazement, I kept stacking items on his lap until he said, "Okay, that should be plenty." He wheeled that chair around with perfection and took off toward his destination. Out of ear shot, a bystander said, "Will he be okay?" I smiled, "He will be fine. This is what he does for a living." Those words stuck in my head. This is how he lives, in that chair. But, he isn't in that chair. He is somewhere else, and the chair is a tool to help him get from one place to another. He is in a happy place, a place many of us need to be. We could learn a lot from each other, if we only opened our eyes.
The Land Search Continues
As the seasons begin their slow march of change, we are still searching for the ever elusive land to establish Mobility Mountain. We have been looking in Georgia, but it seems like the land in Georgia is made of pure gold. Unfortunately, it also seems that most of the beautiful mountains are being developed into subdivisions. Yuck.
As I am writing this, my vehicle is pointed towards West Virginia, again. I love the beauty of those hills and the small town feeling throughout the state. I'm hopeful that we may find a home here, a beginning, a place to plant roots (remember last month's Message from the Mountain?) and establish the greatest campground ever.
Not only that, but I know that West Virginia is trying to promote outdoor recreation in a major way. If we can get in on that initiative, it is possible that we may have a good shot at creating our niche. A place for guests to enjoy and squirrels to hang upside down. Those creatures are comical to watch.
Hang with us for a bit longer and see what transpires. We are working hard to begin Making Nature Accessible, and we won't stop working hard for our future guests. I'll leave you with a picture taken from atop the canyon in West Virginia, during a storm. Enjoy!
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