November 2008 Archives

When I travel I always play a game. I ask myself... could I live here? In Washington DC the answer is yes! That's mostly because the Metro is 100 percent accessible. And it works! I goes absolutely everywhere. It's wonderful.

And another interesting travel tip... apparently you can get a private accessible van at many of the tourist sites complete with a personal tour guide. We took advantage of this yesterday at Arlington and it saved a lot of time, uphill pushing, and effort. I also recommend going at sunset. The views are spectacular!

All and all, it's nice to discover a second city. But Chicago is still home.

I'm very close to backing out of Facebook. That's because there is no useful way to manage my network. It has grown into an odd mix of coworkers; current friends; classmates from grammar school, middle school, and college; family, and professionals.

I don't think that these groups should remain entirely separate from each other, but I don't think the lines between them should be entirely erased either.

At the same time, I have to admit that I'm fascinated at how Facebook is connecting me to folks I'd likely lose touch with otherwise. I'm so interested in watching how it works that it's hard to back away.

I suppose it's true that with social media you're either in or you're out. But very few people seem to really think about what that means. It's all the more reason to manage your online presence closely.

Some of the things I like most about Washington DC are its monuments, museums, and landmarks. I once heard the Mall described as "a great home court advantage," a space specifically designed to illustrate America's power and to intimidate visiting leaders.

Up until this point I thought the Mall did that job pretty well. But our monuments only have meaning if you have a context for them.

I'm spending the weekend with a good friend who is not American, and although she appreciates the landmarks and monuments because they are striking, she didn't grow up looking at them or learning the history behind them. At first, she didn't readily recognize the White House.

Why would she?

That's a sure sign that I'm on vacation. There's both apple and pumpkin. At the moment, I'm thinking of having a little bit of each. I can't think of a better way to start Thanksgiving day... with dessert! Touring the city and maybe a trip to a museum is on tap for the rest of the day... along with a large French meal.

We were just discussing ways to make the corporate apartment where my friends and I are staying more accessible.

"The could buy a bath bench for the tub," I suggested.

"Hell, all you really need is a 2X4," T responded.

We might be on to something here. :)

Happy Thanksgiving! Have a wonderful and peaceful holiday.

Check out my Quick Bite of Naha. The food is good but for some reason leaves me lukewarm.

"So I figure we'll get to the airport early," said S. "Maybe we can hop on an earlier flight."

"Sure. Sounds good to me."

"If that doesn't work out, we can just kick back and have a nice dinner at the airport," she continued. "Although I'm not sure that's possible. I was watching this news report about health inspectors finding some pretty nasty food situations at the airport."

So with that, we're off! I've heard tell that pumpkin pie and whipped cream await us upon arrival. Promises like that give me hope that all is not lost on the food front. Considering where we're starting out, it can only go up from here!

My friend Chris returned my wheelchair tonight all gussied up. He had it worked over but did most of the job himself. The chair has a set of new screws and came with strict instructions.

“Be sure to take your Allen wrench with you when you leave tomorrow,” Chris said. “You should be okay, but this is a really bad design. Your Invacare chair is better, and I have more work to do on this Quickie when you get home.”

“Thank you,” I said. “This means a lot to me.”

“I know. You broke for a minute when that wheel did. But not for long.”

That’s because I have friends who understand me.

What a wonderful thing to be thankful for.

Packing is always the most stressful part of travel for me even though I’m very good at it. I always feel like I have a million and one things to do before I leave.

There is dry cleaning to take in, stuff to buy, trash to take out… it’s madness.

I look forward to the moment when I arrive at the airport, and it’s all out of my hands. By that point, all I have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

For now I still need to pack. All I really want to do is watch episodes of The West Wing. Huh. Perhaps that counts as trip prep too? After all, I’m going to DC.

Years ago, I had a passing conversation with Stan Lee, one of the men behind Spider-Man, X-Men, Daredevil, and the rest of the Marvel Comics empire.

He makes a cameo appearance in every Spider-Man movie, so you might recognize him. I always keep an eye out for him myself. When I spotted him in Spider-Man 2, I tugged excitedly on my friend Dave’s sleeve.

“Stan Lee! Stan Lee!” I said.

Dave glanced at me, perplexed.

“No. I’m Dave,” he said.

I rolled my eyes and helped myself to Dave's popcorn in mildly exasperated retaliation.

When I met Stan Lee, he was a washed-up has-been. The big movie studios hadn’t given him the million-dollar nod yet. Still, there was something innately cool about him. Sure. He’s comic book geek. But I was impressed with his slicked-back hair, leather jacket, and tinted glasses.

Most of all I remember what he told me.

“All of my heroes have disabilities to overcome,” he said matter-of-factly. “Their weakness is their power.”

True. And I believe there is something to that concept. It makes for a good story.

However, in real life, I can’t help but look strangely at someone who applauds me for getting up in the morning or for wheeling down the street.

It’s not heroic to do these things. It’s just life.

Living in the city, I ride a lot of crowded elevators. The other day, so many people got off the car I was waiting to get on it was like watching 30 clowns tumble out of a Mini Cooper.

I’ve even been known to ride up to eventually go down. It’s a sure-fire way to get a ride. And sometimes it’s so cramped once I finally squeeze in that I can’t turn around and face the elevator doors like everyone else. So there I sit, face-to-face with the other people in the car.

It’s awkward. But usually all I have to do is smile at the person I’m looking at to strike up a conversation. Funny how simple it can be to break down peoples’ barriers. Sometimes I think people with disabilities are better at breaking down barriers than others just because we stand out.

Hundreds of kids will descend upon the Magnificent Mile tomorrow night to see the twinkle lights on Michigan Avenue and to watch the Disney holiday parade. If that isn’t enough to keep any self-respecting city dweller out of the vicinity, remember that there will also be large numbers of suburbanites driving downtown, probably talking on their cell phones while trying to parallel park. Scary. So if you’re out and about, look lively. Chances are they won’t be looking at all.

I like seeing the parade floats myself but prefer to avoid the body-crushing crowd and crazy drivers. Strollers are hard to compete with on the sidewalk too, and sometimes I can only see as far as the rear end of the person standing in front of me when the parade marches by.

So the best way to see the floats up-close is to swing by the holding area on Oak Street. From what I recall, parade folks start lining up there at about 4:30 p.m. You can usually stroll through and see everything without having to endure the madness of the crowd. And it’s a great way to kick-off the holidays!

I was recently asked to be on a taskforce because of “all of my contacts in the disability community.” The thing is, I don’t really have many, and the ones I do have, I don’t think of in that way.

I was on the receiving end of what to me is an extremely odd assumption.

I do understand why heads turn in my direction and folks want my opinion when disability related subjects come up. I can certainly offer some perspective based on my own experience.

But I’d never claim to be an expert on disability in general. There are certain aspects of it I know nothing about.

There’s diversity within groups of people, and I find it ironic that in lumping people together and making assumptions about them, we often stereotype when trying to diversify.

For the first time in this month-long blogging venture, tonight I find myself with nothing to say. I can’t even generate fluff.

Ironically, that’s because I have too much to say at the moment and don’t know where to begin. It’s been a wonderful rollercoaster of a day, chalked full of new ideas and thought provoking conversations. As a result, my mind is buzzing, but none of my thoughts are fully formed enough to write about. It’s easier to talk about things than write about them. Writing takes more planning and commitment.

If I’m learning anything from this exercise, it’s that there is value in getting in the habit of writing everyday. Perhaps a few frivolous entries will help me push through my writers’ block and hone my voice?

When I decided to volunteer for the Obama campaign, I attended a two-day seminar called Camp Obama to be trained as a deputy field organizer. What impressed me the most during the class was how strategic the campaign was overall and how volunteers played a big part in it. In fact, the strategy we were presented with extended beyond the campaign and outlined how people would still be involved in grassroots efforts if Obama won the election.

Now he has won, and I’ve seen signs of that initial strategy all over the place. It’s encouraging.

I’m particularly impressed that the Obama team is keeping up with its Internet-based communications. Change.gov, for example, was up and running in record time. And today, I got a thoughtful e-mail surveying me on how I was involved with the campaign and how I’d like to continue to volunteer during Obama’s presidency.

I know that there has also been some talk about how the online communities that sprung up during the campaign should evolve. Should they be housed by the DNC? The White House? However it shakes down, all indications show that Obama has a genuine interest and ability to mobilize and empower people. It’s refreshing.

Not that I ever really left it! Hectic lives and harried travels simply dictated that the Chicago Bites recording schedule slow down. But now Tammy and I are back in my kitchen/our recording studio with a glowing review of Mexique, a restaurant that more than pulls off its well-balanced menu of French influenced Mexican food. Listen in. Your mouth will water!

I’ll be flying on American Airlines over Thanksgiving weekend and just got a call from the company’s customer service desk.

“We see that you noted a need for wheelchair assistance on your travel reservation,” the agent said. “Is that for you or your travel companion?”

The agent proceeded to walk me through pre-boarding and gate check procedures for my wheelchair, and then she asked me a series of thoughtful questions.

“What kind of wheelchair do you have? Does it fold? Will you need an isle chair to get to your seat?”

I’m a seasoned traveler, so none of this was new to me, but I did appreciate the call. The holidays bring out inexperienced travelers in droves, and calls like this one likely stem the tide of resulting headaches a bit.

I have to say that I find the American Airlines Web site hard to navigate and not very user friendly, but personal customer service calls go a long way toward setting the tone for happy trails.

“Marry me,” a guy on the corner begged me tonight as I headed into the grocery store.

“No, I don’t think I will.”

“But why not?” he persisted.

An answer came unbidden to mind and popped right out of my mouth.

“Well, for one thing, I’m quite attached to my name.”

What’s in a name? Shakespeare would say not much. And in theory, I agree. A rose by any other name does smell as sweet. But in practice, I disagree with the bard.

It’s important to own your name, especially on the Internet. Your screen name is your calling card, so it might as well be your own.

It took me some time and thought to associate my name with my online activity… as it does for me to do the same with my writing in general. But in the end, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

I’m enjoying building an evolving body of public work online. It’s pretty useful and always keeps me sharp.

What do you think about using your name online?

My family, friends, and co-workers are my best travel guides. Unfailingly, they come back from trips all over the world with detailed reports about accessibility. It’s pretty amusing sometimes because they are often surprised at how many accommodations they are now aware of.

They notice when accommodations aren’t good.

“You should have seen what they call a ‘curb cut!’ It was absolutely ridiculous…steep… no clearance for your chair… totally unworkable. I took a picture for you.”

They also notice when accommodations are excellent.

“You could do everything at the resort. There was even a paved path along the beach, and a lift at the swimming pool!”

And they start piecing together solutions for me in not-so-accessible environments.

“Rome is not that accessible,” Caryn IMed from Italy yesterday. “But if you took cabs, or hired a driver, and went with someone who had been there before it could happen.”

Y also has her eye on Italy for me.

“Take a look at this!”

I’m aiming for Italy in 2010. So let me know if you have any tips to share. I’m not a tour bus girl. I’d rather have a local experience. And I want to eat! Big surprise, right?

On my way to dinner last night, one of the front wheels on my wheelchair fell off. I think a bolt came loose or something. It was totally unexpected. One minute I was wheeling down the street at a good clip, and the next KUR-THUNK! I was three wheeled.

When something like this happens it’s jarring for everybody. For me, it’s upsetting because I’m forcefully reminded that my independence hinges on the use of reliable medical equipment. That’s something I rarely think about until it slaps me in the face. And for the people around me it’s often upsetting because they are suddenly faced with a situation they don’t really know how to handle.

That’s why I do my best to set the tone and take control. I immediately go into problem solving mode, and clearly tell the people around me what I need them to do. So when I asked two valet guys on the corner to help me get across the street, and into a chair they had sitting by the valet stand, they reacted quickly and calmly.

What was even better was Tammy’s reaction to my lost wheel when she got on the scene.

She knows me well enough to know that I was not as calm as I appeared to be, and after making sure I was physically okay, she started asking me questions to help me problem solve without taking over. “What should we do? Where is the nearest hardware store? Who has a car? You really should stay for dinner.”

Because we thought it through together, I was able to come up with a good plan fairly quickly that worked well for everyone. And, yes, of course I stayed for dinner.

I was dining with Tammy and Nick (he came to my rescue with his car), who know me very well, Pattie, who I’m getting to know better, and Emily, who I was meeting for the first time. The wait staff hovered closely too, and they heard all about the drama.

Throughout the evening, I realized that everyone was taking a cue from Tammy and Nick on how to handle the lost wheel thing. They were gauging my reaction as well, but in teasing me, laughing with me, and making suggestions about what to do next, Tammy and Nick were actually showing everyone else around us the best way to behave. It turned out to be a delightful dinner.

“You keep it real, Bridge,” Nick said. “And it’s always interesting.”

Thanks to all who came to my aid last night and today. I’d be stuck on a street corner without you! And thank you too for helping me handle embarrassment and potential crisis with thoughtful grace and dignity. Your actions and understanding speak volumes. I am grateful.

A group of friends and I had a lovely dinner tonight with Chicago Dining Examiner Emily Szopa. To prep for the evening, I did a little advance surfing on Examiner.com Chicago. I'd never really looked at the site before, and I like its concept.

The idea is that you can get tips from local insiders on just about anything and everything Chicago related. The few articles I read were useful, short, and easily scalable. The content categories are very specific, catering well to Internet content. And the site also appears to be updated constantly because so many people contribute. Many voices in one place… it's kind of cool. The result really doesn't feel like a traditional news site, but the design makes it feel much more comprehensive than something like the –ist network.

This is just a first impression. But I'll go back to Examiner.com because I want to see more.

Pirate Alice sent me this article yesterday about a woman who was banned from a department store chain in Britain because she had some sort of accident in the restroom and had to push the emergency button to call for assistance. She has Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair, and the store asked her not to return because its staff is not trained to assist her in an emergency. The ban has since been lifted, and management has apologized but still asks that she bring someone to assist her when she visits the store.

Here are just a few points that pop to mind as I think this through…

First, doesn’t the staff have some kind of emergency training? It’s possible that anyone could have something unexpected, like a heart attack, strike at anytime whether they are disabled or not. It’s discriminatory to assume that a person with a disability is more of a liability. And the association between being in a wheelchair and being unwell is odd to me because many people with disabilities are perfectly healthy and very capable.

Accidents do happen… to everyone. That’s what an emergency button is for. So you shouldn’t be punished for using it if you need to.

It would be another thing entirely if this woman regularly pushed that button and took advantage of the staff to do personal things for her that she should be able to do for herself, or have a paid assistant do. But that’s not an emergency, and it sounds like this was.

Let me tell you… it’s easy it is to get a wheelchair stuck in a public restroom, even if it appears to be accessible. Unfortunately, I’ve been in that compromising position more times than I care to admit.

In fact, when my friends and I visited Door County last year, I got my wheelchair wedged so tightly in an accessible stall at the state park that T had to crawl under the door and help me pop off one wheel so we could get it out. We told the park ranger what happened, and he was totally unaffected. But I wasn’t banned. So I guess that’s something!

I have a feeling that everybody and their brother will be getting on the social media bandwagon because the Obama campaign used the Internet so successfully. Unfortunately, many hopping aboard seem to forget that the campaign’s success hinged not on the technology itself, but on how it was used.

Mass media messages are easier to produce than targeted ones. Even though social media tools are easy to use, it takes real work and lots of thought to use them well. How is it that so many just don’t get that?

Messaging comes first. To me, social media tools are vehicles for very specific messages. So when these tools are used in a professional capacity, some sort of strategy must be in place. You can’t expect to be successful just dipping a toe in the water and setting up an account. You have to have something to say, and you have to think through the best way to say it. Otherwise, what’s the point?

When I got to Midway tonight, the guy running the cabstand recognized me.

“You ever stay in Chicago?” He asked.

“Not much lately.”

“Well, welcome home!” he said, opening the door to my cab. “And see you again soon.”

Indeed.

It's good to BE home.

“So do you know what you’re going to say for your wedding toast?” my dad asked me as he gave me a ride to my hair appointment yesterday morning.

“Yeah. I’ve been practicing it with the dog. She’s very attentive and licks my hand whenever I tear up.”

“Why do you tear up?”

“Because sometimes it’s hard not to when you say what you really feel.”

My dad nodded in understanding. “Well, I’ll be your first human audience then. Go ahead. Lay it on me.”

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “There are two kinds of soul mates. The first kind is the love of your life, and the second kind, or kinds, are the friends who make up the fabric of who you are…”

Tears started to roll down my cheeks. My dad reached over and licked my hand.

“Ewww! What are you doing?!?” I said, snatching it back.

“Well, it looked like you needed a little encouragement,” he said with a devious smile.

Thanks to my dad my wedding toast went very well.

My best childhood friend got married today, and I was her maid of honor. It was a wonderful day, and I was truly honored to be a part of it. There wasn’t any wedding drama. Ironically, the drama was all mine.

I’ve been battling a cold for roughly a week, and the pressure in my ears got so bad this morning that I found myself at an urgent care clinic in between my hair appointment and pictures at the church.

The doctor that I saw was young, good looking, appeared to be single, and kept staring at me.

“You know… I took a girl in a wheelchair who had cerebral palsy to senior brunch in high school,” he finally explained, with as shy smile. “Her name was Bridget too.”

I now have a doctors' note to keep me from flying if needs be. Turns out I have a really bad ear infection. It’s totally up in the air (or not) whether I’ll be able to return home to Chicago tomorrow.

Still, being part of this wedding meant more to me than I can say. Right now, as I type this with my parents' golden retriever asleep at my feet, I can say that it’s good to have friends who knew you when you were young, and who still know you well enough to start a conversation mid-sentence.

… right across the top in bright red lettering. When Suzanne set the tray in front of us, we all stared at them in stunned silence. We were in high school at the time, and Suzanne and Angie had spent the entire day preparing a mad-hatter tea party for Laura, our moms, and me. The eat me teacakes were the culmination of their efforts.

My mom started it. “Eat me,” she said out loud, and the entire table burst into belly laughs.

Suzanne and Angie stood there straight-faced. “What?” Angie asked, the light starting to dawn. “It’s an ‘Alice and Wonderland’ theme!”

Since that day, those teacakes have been a thing of legend. They appeared at Suzanne’s wedding, and rumor has it that the recipe recently resurfaced. Funny that. So, I’ve got to go get ready to face the day. There’s baking to do!

I’m blogging in a van.

That’s because we are in the middle of Laura’s bachelorette party, and I am so dedicated to blogging this month that I dragged everyone over to my house to pick up my laptop, and now we are driving around trying to find a hot spot on our way to our next destination.

I can’t believe I’m admitting this in any sort of public realm, but there it is. That’s how committed I am. Or perhaps I should be committed? Because this is bringing geekiness to a whole new level. The thing is, I’m in a van of geeks who seem to totally get it.

Thank you to those who put up with my wild flights of fancy. I owe you. Big time.

I’m watching TV with my parents, and it’s kind of freaking my mom out that I’m on my laptop at the same time.

“Are you watching?” she keeps asking me. “You really should see this… it’s funny.”

What’s even funnier is that I feel more at home with my laptop open so that I can surf on commercials. This behavior is usual for me, but very strange to my parents.

Is it a generational or lifestyle difference? Maybe it’s both. I’ll tell you this... my parents’ computer is not an easily accessible tool or one that is integrated into their day at least when it comes to their leisure time. The computer is in the basement. To do something as simple as check e-mail they go down there especially to do that.

Continuous partial attention can certainly be detrimental, like when people drive and talk on their cell phones at the same time. We are not good muti-taskers as a rule. It’s essential to unplug now and then.

But there’s something to be said for technology integration.

"I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington... I'm asking you to believe in yours." --Barack Obama from barackobama.com

There are moments in time that stick with you always. And I have a collection of them from last night when Barack Obama was elected President of the United States.

Watching live election results with hundreds of thousands in Grant Park, I was struck by the enormity of this nation and our election. Most importantly, I saw the strength that’s possible when people pull together.

To me, this election was never about Obama becoming the first African American president, although the significance of that accomplishment can’t and shouldn’t be overlooked. Instead, it was about how he managed to get Americans like me to believe in the possibility of a better America again, and to take action to help make it happen. I hope that trend continues and grows during his presidency.

I won’t soon forget what it felt like to be cheering in that crowd when the election was called, or how I felt when I started to cry during Obama’s speech. But I think the smaller quieter moments will stay with me even longer.

I’ll remember the young girl I met in the mob on Congress Street who went all the way to Kentucky to cast her vote because her absentee ballot wasn’t delivered, and then drove back to Chicago to get in a few hours of work before the rally.

I’ll remember the older African American man I exchanged a glance with as he gingerly made his way across the grass with the help of a cane and a companion. There was such a calm knowing in his eyes that seemed to say, “Yes. We are both going to witness history. It will happen. Aren’t you glad you’re here?” He held my gaze, and we both smiled.

I’ll remember walking down the center of Michigan Ave. for blocks in the throng after the rally was over, cheers and Obama chants echoing off the buildings.

I’ll remember the look on my friend Geo’s face when he saw just how close the race was in Indiana.

“I knocked on doors there,” he said. “Maybe some of the votes I got for Obama made a difference!”

And I’ll remember what a friend told me today.

“There’s still a ton of work to do, but we got the promise of our country back.”

There’s a certain energy in the air in the city today. As our nation elects a new president, Chicago prepares to host a rally for Obama. Businesses are closing early. Ambitious salesmen are pushing political buttons on street corners (and later getting busted for not having permits). And I’ve never seen so many people wearing political t-shirts.

“Even all the trash cans down here are gone,” one street socialite pointed out to T and I this morning while we sipped our Starbucks sitting outside on Michigan Ave. “The city is ready.”

Ready or not, it’s election day. And everything about today feels a little different to me. For one thing, it’s 74 degrees outside on November 4th! And the city is eerily quiet right now. That’s because folks aren’t working this afternoon. They’re standing in line at the polls.

As for me, I’ve got my political gear on and the hottest ticket in town in hand. I’m headed to the rally in Grant Park. I dare not tempt fate. But here’s hoping that there’s a great reason to have one heck of a party there tonight!

I’m tucked up in bed at the moment with my laptop, writing this entry. Now that I’m here, I realize that I’ve been looking forward to doing this all day. It’s not so much that I have something of substance to say tonight, but that I enjoy the simple practice of writing.

Unfortunately, I rarely save time to play with words just for fun. And now I have an excuse to because I have to set aside writing time if I’m going reach my blogging goal. It’s a win win!

Tonight I keep thinking about how words strike me.

Yesterday, I went with my friends Chris and S to see Margaret Garner, an opera with lyrics by Toni Morrison. As a general rule, I don’t like opera, but this one sparked my interest because Morrison is one of my favorite authors, and the story of Margaret Garner inspired her book Beloved, which is also a favorite of mine.

The opera lacked the punch I hoped it would have, and it didn’t hang together well. But I did appreciate parts of it. The fusion of southern negro spirituals with operatic style, for example, was fascinating. And the lyrics! Morrison has this phenomenal talent for creating sharp contrasts using simple words in unexpected ways. Her command of language, and the resulting clarity can’t come easy. But she makes it look easy. I admire that. The lyrics made the opera for me.

“But opera isn’t about lyrics,” Chris argued. “It’s about listening to the music. The music speaks directly to the soul.”

“Words can speak to the soul too,” I said.

“Yes, but through the mind first.”

I’m not sure I agree with that. I’ve had words speak directly to my heart and soul because they drive, inspire, and complement the actions that matter.

I like RSS feeds in general and services like Friendfeed because they make it easier for me to keep up with all of the Web updates I need to.

But I see two issues.

First, filtering what you see or read online can be horribly limiting and sometimes leaves little room for serendipity. I admit that I don’t vary or update my feeds as often as I should, and this can lead to tunnel vision. I really should be reading about the things I don’t know, instead of reading the things that reinforce what I already do. But sometimes, I’m so busy that I only read my feeds. So how do I find new things to spark my interest, without getting overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff thrown at me? I’m always looking for a better way.

Secondly, feeds make it easier to chart online behavior. This can be good and downright creepy. One of my friends, for example, recently discovered a new list of news story feeds on her New York Times home page. It’s sponsored by LinkedIn and based on her profile. I haven’t seen this feature yet, but I’m on the look out for it. She says the links listed target her interests exactly, but she doesn’t remember giving NYT permission to access her LinkedIn profile or visa versa. I assume that doesn’t matter if her LinkedIn profile is public.

The marketing and Web communicator in me thinks features like this are pretty cool. But there is another part of me that worries about privacy. As the integration between online services and tools gets better and easier to use, it becomes more important to monitor your online presence. And many don’t police themselves at all.

I spent the afternoon at Illinois headquarters for the Obama campaign, calling voters in Ohio to let them know where to go Tuesday to vote. Sandwiched in a small littered cubicle with two other volunteers, it was like being at the center of a cyclone.

People were talking on phones, yelling for drivers, carting in pizza and doughnuts, entering data on laptops, and running back and fourth with clipboards.

I was lucky to get my spot. There wasn’t enough room for all of the volunteers in the office. When I arrived, roughly 30 people were sitting on the floor in the hall, diligently working through call lists. It was a beautiful thing.

Every volunteer I talked to, like me, had never worked on a political campaign before this one. And yet there we all were… taking a deep breath and picking up the phone to dial a stranger. I don’t particularly like doing that, and I really don’t like getting telemarketing-like calls myself. But in this case, I think it’s worth it. Obama has a plan for people with disabilities that makes sense to me. That is one of the many reasons he has my vote. I’m happy to join the fray to help spread that message.

Besides, who would have thought it would be so fun, energizing, and addicting to sit at a desk plastered with candy wrappers and used napkins making calls for hours on end? But it is. Because this election matters.

Get out and vote!

Related links of interest:
'Taking Responsibility' commercial
Article about the candidates' positions on disability