Moving makes changes

Yes, I'm moving. By June 15 I should be in Louisiana. It's been nice here in Wisconsin and I've met some good people. One of those people has become very important to my son and I. Important enough to move with her and start a new chapter in life.

Moving is change. Change is hard on the autistic most times. So it makes sense that you prepare your child for the change as much in advance as possible. I've shown my son all the positives of the move and referred to it as "our next big adventure". Those words work well for my little hero "adventurer". He relates well with those words. If it's an adventure, he's all for it.

Currently he's excited for the big move and is showing interest in how to pack things and wants to be helpful. I'm sure, once we get on the road in the big truck (that he's also excited about) he'll discover boredom and not be quite so excited. Well, that's the reality of moving, especially when you move about 900 miles. Our destination, the city of Monroe.

So, there will be an interruption of blogs at that time, and I will certainly update on our adventure and how the move has gone. What worked for my kiddo won't necessarily work for yours. You have to use the things that your child associates with. Favorite stores? Favorite kind of parks? What is in the new area that you know your child loves and is connected to? Well, I have to do some house cleaning, so enjoy your warmer days and we'll update soon.

Helping others can move you

I figure it's high time that I share about the great moving experience. I know, we all know what it's like to move. Packing and shifting and moving all the heavy furniture are all par for the course. It's a headache and no one enjoys it. As many of you might remember, I put out a message to my local community and asked for help to move. Being disabled and a single parent without local contacts made a move look near impossible.

I started contacting local agencies and asking around at churches to see if anyone could help a guy out. The Center on Aging and Disability put me in touch with Cheryl. Cheryl runs a small volunteer group called Hands of Hope. She came out to my apartment and looked over the job. She took note of what kind furniture I had and how much there was to move. She then made an appointment with me on when she would return with volunteers. She came out with some people who were kind and helpful. They got me moved.

Unfortunately, Cheryl is having trouble finding volunteers. I find this disturbing. Let's think about this for a second. Consider a senior citizen who has no local family and no family coming forward. He has to move. What should he do? In situations that I've seen, it's been too bad so sad, leave it all behind and get out. The problem I have with it, is that it doesn't have to be that way. As a community we can take care of our own and help that person move. Why not? What if it were you? Sure, you're an able bodied person now, but you have a 50% chance of becoming disabled in your lifetime. So think carefully, what if it were you?

What if you really needed help, and no one would step in? Yes it does happen, all to often, but we are supposed to be a society that is better than that now. How can we continue to make such a claim with an every man for himself attitude like that?

Yes, I know there are undesirables out there and people who cheat the system and want to be leeches. I know this all too well, but what are we going to do. Turn a blind eye when even our religious teachings and historical teachings say not to?

What kind of example do we set for our children? I think communities should step up and help. I think what Cheryl is doing is moral and right. I think we should take it into consideration just a bit more. I'm not saying to give handouts to the guy on the street corner, but if you know someone who could really use a hand. Why don't you help them? Just a thought. If you want to volunteer and help out those in need. Check with the Hand's of Hope or contact places in your neighborhood. Give a helping hand to someone in need.