Comments on: Anger http://www.cathyaten.com/wordpress/2010/01/anger/ Blog of the artist Cathy Aten Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:38:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lee http://www.cathyaten.com/wordpress/2010/01/anger/comment-page-1/#comment-827 Lee Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:13:57 +0000 http://www.cathyaten.com/wordpress/?p=2011#comment-827 LOL!!! Michelle, your words are all too cynically true. The world of mobility/ability aids is in *desperate* need of creativity, compassion, imagination, empathy... So many of these devices seem to be made for some hypothetical client who doesn't want to *do* anything other than sit around being "disabled". But we real people who need help, we don't need help being disabled, we need help DOING things! I only see disabled athletes getting devices that help DO stuff, and there's a very weird contradiction there that smacks of denial to me. The day I see a mobility scooter that can carry an infant seat, groceries for a large family, or tow the kids' wagon to the playground, I'm sure I'll fall over in a dead faint! LOL!!!

Michelle, your words are all too cynically true.
The world of mobility/ability aids is in *desperate* need of creativity, compassion, imagination, empathy… So many of these devices seem to be made for some hypothetical client who doesn’t want to *do* anything other than sit around being “disabled”. But we real people who need help, we don’t need help being disabled, we need help DOING things! I only see disabled athletes getting devices that help DO stuff, and there’s a very weird contradiction there that smacks of denial to me. The day I see a mobility scooter that can carry an infant seat, groceries for a large family, or tow the kids’ wagon to the playground, I’m sure I’ll fall over in a dead faint!

]]> By: karen gordon http://www.cathyaten.com/wordpress/2010/01/anger/comment-page-1/#comment-826 karen gordon Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:37:54 +0000 http://www.cathyaten.com/wordpress/?p=2011#comment-826 cathy. your art is so beautiful, as are your words. your blog is simple and profound and i'm so pleased to have happened upon it. i am jewish, and as such i hereby grant you privileges to "kvetch" as much as you deem necessary. :) warmly, karen cathy. your art is so beautiful, as are your words. your blog is simple and profound and i’m so pleased to have happened upon it. i am jewish, and as such i hereby grant you privileges to “kvetch” as much as you deem necessary. :)

warmly,
karen

]]> By: Michelle Harris http://www.cathyaten.com/wordpress/2010/01/anger/comment-page-1/#comment-825 Michelle Harris Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:41:23 +0000 http://www.cathyaten.com/wordpress/?p=2011#comment-825 Aaaah ... the hardware wars. Everything out there is so big and ugly and more than what you need. And you are small (and vain) and can envision a much better solution that would be exactly what you need but .... guess what? ... they don't make those! Aaaah … the hardware wars. Everything out there is so big and ugly and more than what you need. And you are small (and vain) and can envision a much better solution that would be exactly what you need but …. guess what? … they don’t make those!

]]> By: Lee http://www.cathyaten.com/wordpress/2010/01/anger/comment-page-1/#comment-824 Lee Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:13:46 +0000 http://www.cathyaten.com/wordpress/?p=2011#comment-824 I empathize with you on the "Too much Hardware" thing. And it's a strange place for me to be, because normally I love "Gadgets" and "engineering"... but when those things come with a side order of bruised vanity, a little self pity, and a whole lot of "Where is THAT gonna fit?!?" it's harder to love the gadgets. I'm 37. Don't really know what's wrong with me. Maybe Fibromyalgia. Maybe something else. I have a shower-seat now, and a "Rollator". I'm getting a scooter soon, and REALLY looking forward to that, as even with the Rollator, I don't have the energy to shop anywhere that doesn't provide courtesy scooters anymore. Some days I see my gadgets as symbols of my increasing decrepitude. Some days I see them as liberators. Most days they're just another tool... well, no, I'm not really there yet, but that's where I'm trying to get, mentally. I have been following blog links today because I'm avoiding a decision about whether to use what energy I have today to clean up my house a little, or save that energy for cleaning my body. I can pick one, generally, but not both in one day. I'd rather read blogs than make up my mind, either way I saw your video linked at kamikazewheeelchair, I think. It was touching. And I loved the end - that you like this Cathy more than the one of 10 years ago. I'm glad you do. I remember feeling much the same way after a fire destroyed all my belongings once many years ago. It was devastating, but also liberating. I was able to "recreate" the reflection of my self that I put into my "stuff". Now I find myself recreating myself yet again, and while I enjoy the process in a general way, I really prefer doing it on my own terms. Oh well, eh? Thanks for being there and putting your life on display as you have :-) It's been a sort of encouragement and validation that I didn't know I needed! I empathize with you on the “Too much Hardware” thing.
And it’s a strange place for me to be, because normally I love “Gadgets” and “engineering”… but when those things come with a side order of bruised vanity, a little self pity, and a whole lot of “Where is THAT gonna fit?!?” it’s harder to love the gadgets.
I’m 37. Don’t really know what’s wrong with me. Maybe Fibromyalgia. Maybe something else. I have a shower-seat now, and a “Rollator”. I’m getting a scooter soon, and REALLY looking forward to that, as even with the Rollator, I don’t have the energy to shop anywhere that doesn’t provide courtesy scooters anymore.
Some days I see my gadgets as symbols of my increasing decrepitude.
Some days I see them as liberators.
Most days they’re just another tool… well, no, I’m not really there yet, but that’s where I’m trying to get, mentally.
I have been following blog links today because I’m avoiding a decision about whether to use what energy I have today to clean up my house a little, or save that energy for cleaning my body. I can pick one, generally, but not both in one day. I’d rather read blogs than make up my mind, either way

I saw your video linked at kamikazewheeelchair, I think.

It was touching.

And I loved the end – that you like this Cathy more than the one of 10 years ago. I’m glad you do. I remember feeling much the same way after a fire destroyed all my belongings once many years ago. It was devastating, but also liberating. I was able to “recreate” the reflection of my self that I put into my “stuff”. Now I find myself recreating myself yet again, and while I enjoy the process in a general way, I really prefer doing it on my own terms. Oh well, eh?

Thanks for being there and putting your life on display as you have :-) It’s been a sort of encouragement and validation that I didn’t know I needed!

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