I’m not surprised that Commissioner Innes is taking on the full time role for disability. I like him a lot and he is great in the role. Articulate and observant, with an ability to get those who don’t have a direct experience to “get it”. He also commands enough respect among those of us who do have the experience to be a leader among us. Not an easy job.

I follow him on various social media platforms and my eye is drawn to his updates regardless of whether they are on race or disability. I have heard him speak on race issues too. I have read his words. I get “it” too now at least a lot more than I did. Part of the power in his arguing for racial tolerance is the fact that while he clearly understands marginalisation, he is white. Yet he is passionate. There was value for me in that I found myself listening more closely I think because it changed the way I valued the argument.

I understand the whole argument of nothing about us, without us. I know the value of direct representation. We need to be at the table, front centre and visible. All the time. We must be there.

All I’m saying; there is power when someone outside the obvious circle makes our arguments powerfully too. We value add. Different voices, especially perhaps unexpected voices, bring a different power and different people to the table to listen and learn.

Maybe that’s a sign of true inclusion.

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Buried in the caboose was a copy of the October issue of Link magazine. Published five times a year Link is “Australia’s leading national cross-disability magazine.” Lo and behold an edited version of the organic fruit blog post was on a two page spread with a bright shiny red apple smiling back at me. Wow. It was a strange feeling seeing my name as a byline. A small part of a dream and an ability bourne out of my own self acceptance as an educator and as a former colleague once discribed it a good “translator”.

So the original post is no longer protected (as per agreement with the magazine editor) so enjoy. yes there are more pieces in draft form.

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I have been challenged today. Challenged away from advocacy to participation. True participation. The embracing of life.. Beyond all the rhetoric I have been sprouting about living for the now.

I had brunch with a woman. She is an active passionate woman, with grown and flown children and a part time job. She is strong and opinionated. She also has a disability. She can not easily recall what has been, or what will be. It is an acquired and hidden impairment that she can and does choose at times not to disclose.

She heard me explaining why I had left the job. The reason normally elicits a visible response, especially from those that understood the job, like she did. It didn’t this time. I got a simple “oh”. This was fine. The strong clear brown eyes, held my gaze with both unnerving comprehension and calmness. I told her of my renewed vigor for social equity especially regarding accessibility and my renewed conviction to live authentically. I talked of my desire to choose my activities and do what was important.

We talked of books; mostly owing to the fact that I expressed my intent to get more reading done in my off time. We talked of folks we know in common. In hindsight I think we pretty much agreed on most things if in circular ways.

She asked me what I did for fun. If I’m honest I struggled to come up with two hobbies that I really enjoyed, and that I was keen to talk of: reading and travel.

In one line though, she challenged me. With 6 words she made me stop and reconsider.

“Because I’ve never seen you laugh”.

Now to be fair, she has only ever known me in a professional setting, but even so?

Over spring roles and prawn stir-fry, at a party last night, a relative recently retired, drew an image on scrap paper; a rectangle intersected by a diagonal line, roughly in the middle. The resulting triangles represented in turn one’s job and personal (the rest of life), life. He explained that a healthy and fairly equal balance was required, and to be found in retirement or in a good break. He, like me was struggling some what to maintain a tiny personal triangle in the rectangle of life.

Time to re-calibrate my triangles perhaps.

Should we not all do this? After all perhaps the best way to advocate is indeed to live.

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