I was about as graceful as Tonya Harding as I powered my way through the snow to the bus stop. I’d like to say it took skill to stay upright and prevented me from falling down. The truth is pure might allowed me to make it there. However, I admit, there were a few times I thought, why do you have your crippled ass out here? Are you crazy? You’ll get hurt or injured and they’ll figure it out at work.

The first few steps were nerve-racking. I watched my cane dig into the snow and I prayed it wouldn’t slip; I hope I wouldn’t slide. Then, I remembered something my mother always said, “a hard head makes a soft behind.” Am I making the wrong decision by being out here because I’m stubborn? I wondered.

I thought about how perfectly fit people fall in Winter and break hips, twist knee caps and tear ligaments. What’s going to happen to me if I fall? I wondered. My back is already messed up. My foot has nerve damage and drags. There’s arthritis in my hip and knee that caused pain and make them unstable now. I could really get hurt.

By the time, I processed those thoughts I was at a hill. I said a quick prayer, took a deep breath and looked down at my ski pants. These will at least cushion the impact if I fall, I thought. I took my cane and knocked the compacted snow out of the groove of my boots then began to walk.

You’ve been through worse than this when you lived in New Hampshire and Boston. You gotta keep moving. Don’t let your disability become a deterrent to living life. And, today that includes getting to work for non-stop snow coverage. But, I do fall, I’m going home. My safety comes first.

You know what, once I calmed my mind I made it safely. I was one of a dozen people on the NJ Transit platform when I arrived. I’d done what people who are people who were perfectly feared doing and I was fine. Woo hoo!

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