IT''S NOT JUST ABOUT MARGARITAS

My apologies to anyone who saw the image I chose for this post and was expecting a post about how much I love T.G.I. Fridays. I do love their loaded potato skins. I may write more about my love of loaded potato skins in a future post.

Despite your disappointment, I hope you'll read this post. It's not about food, but there are ideas in this post that might give you something to think about. I guess you could think of this post as brain food.

The house van is broken again. I missed happy hour this week. That's okay though because I got to spend time at the nursing home earlier in the week. I was able to attend a friend's goodbye party. I stayed for dinner and had Chinese food with my friends. The day meant so much to me. I want to thank this agency for getting a van to transport me.

I was told that the house van is really to be used to transport my housemates to any appointments that have been scheduled for them. Driving me to the nursing home every Friday is not considered a necessity. It is not an organized activity in the community. CCL does not have to take to the nursing hor for Happy Hour. The staff member went on to say that I might want to reapply for Call-A-Ride if Jaywood no longer has a van of its own. 

The support coordinator, the program manager, and the case manager, for this house and I, have discussed this. Call-A-Ride is eight dollars round trip. There can be long waits for a pickup or drop-off I have waited as long as an hour and a half. If you are not outside waiting for them, within five minutes, the van leaves. When I was using the service I had more money.

Happy hour is not just about margaritas.  It is about the calm, warm feeling I have as soon as I roll through the doors. I feel welcome. I feel like I belong.

I need to see my friends for my emotional health. Friends are better than a therapist. They listen. They make me laugh. Laughter is the best medicine.

There are days when I wish I lived in a facility again to be with other people. I could ask the staff about their lives. No staff member at NHC ever told me to stop talking to them. I was never told to "shut your damn mouth," when I was speaking.

Thank you, to this agency for taking me to Happy Hour every Friday. I know the staff doesn't have to. I know it's a privilege. I hope this house is allowed to have its own van again soon

Nursing home visits...It's not just about  Margaritas.