Thursday Things
Disability and Determination is a weekly newsletter about my experience living with a rare disability…with a little bit of meditation, pop culture, and other random things thrown in. If you like this post, give me a like with the ❤️ symbol below. This will help me get discovered by others on Substack. Drop your email in the field at the bottom and click the Subscribe button to be notified of future posts!
I actually kind of like Thursdays. Maybe that’s not some unique thing like I just made it sound. But I like the promise of Friday being just around the corner. It feels like the week has almost ended with just one more day to go. It’s the last night you have to try to get to bed at a decent hour to get up for work the next day. A Thursday before a 3-day weekend is even better.
So I fired my former primary care doctor and got a new one who is a) female, and b) seems to care and know what she’s doing, so we’ll see how that pans out. I was able to email the service dog company and explain what was going on so hopefully this won’t count against me that I’m going to have two brand new doctors fill out the forms they need (instead of a doctor know knows me well like they asked for). I definitely took for granted how easy my medical care was where I lived before. I’ve had trouble or issues to overcome with nearly every genre of medical care out here.
I’m proud of myself for not giving up and for persisting. I am someone who absolutely hates talking on the phone too—with a few exceptions—so all of the phone calls I’ve had to make are no small feat.
shared this great video that talks about how life never gets easier. The “hard” never goes away…we just get better at dealing with it. I think that’s what I’m experiencing now. I’ve never been very good at dealing with “hard” things. My disability and the accessibility barriers society poses have always felt like the maximum level of “hard” I’m able to deal with. But the reality is, there’s always going to be other hard things thrown my way, so I can either shut down and shut off, or I can adapt and figure out how to deal with challenges better. That’s the true definition of resilience, after all.I went to my favorite coffee shop last weekend to do some writing and catch up on all my stacks. It reminded me that I need to do more of that. It gives me a nice mental boost. I hope your Memorial Day weekend is full of things that give you a nice mental boost too.
And now, for my other favorite topic: Pop Culture
What Made Me Happy This Week 🌞💞
A Gentleman in Moscow (📺) - Streaming on Paramount + and Showtime (had no idea that was a merger that happened) and based on Amor Towles book of the same name, I absolutely loved this mini series. The book is amazing too if you haven’t read it. I have the benefit of not remembering much about a book once I finish it which makes it easier when I watch the movie or show version—less comparison. But I can say with certainty that I felt the same way watching this as I did reading the book. It’s equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. I love Ewan MacGregor, but was admittedly skeptical of his casting at first, but he brought the Count to life perfectly. The whole cast does a stellar job of bringing the characters to life. The hotel looks exactly how I pictured it when I read the book too.
Bridgerton is back! (📺) - This show gives me life, let me tell you. What doesn’t give me life is this magnificent spectacle of a show being split up between May and June, but alas, here we are. I watched all of the episodes that were released for the new season in one night and they did not disappoint. All the steam, tension, and trying to identify what modern tune they’re playing at the latest social event taking place in the scene you could ask for. They actually featured a character that’s a lord in a wheelchair too (played by an actor that I believe is actually disabled for once).
Trying is back (📺) - Seriously, if you have not seen this delightful gem of a show on Apple TV +, you’ve been missing out. It’s all the things I love in a show. It has heart, laughs, tears. It’s right up there with Ted Lasso and Schitts Creek for me. With everything that’s been going on lately too, it’s been a true salve for the soul. I could have done without the eccentric bartender selling disabled cards (the UK equivalent of placards) in the 1st episode however. Can we seriously not have a single TV show or book without something disparaging in it toward disability? Sheesh.
Ahhh thanks for finding the YouTube link! Just added it to the Notebook
I'm waiting to binge Bridgerton when I move into own place toward the end of June. And I completely understand what you're talking about in regard to the music. LOL I loved the music so much that I had Shazam'd it, downloaded the song, and then found other songs and downloaded those, too. Such a talented group.