Comments

Buri:

commendable blog
well done
nice work with the lesser advantaged
there is still hope for you [just kidding]
all best to ye.

thanks Joe Like I said in the discussion forum, how inspirational! Actually more and more so, I have gained a passion for working with people with disabilities, disorders, and diseases. I worked with people in hospitals and hospices before, but without the incorporation of music. I really want to do that! Over the summer, I will be interning under music therapists. Should be fun! And thank you, Buri, for inspiring this young girl, as I am sure you have. We need more patient and self-less teachers like you in the world. Why everyone loves you so much? Very few people have such a big heart also have a big mind and being crazily funny all at once. Thank you so much for being you and sharing a chunk of you with us!

Speaking of working with disabled, I had a boyfriend some years ago who frequently blacked out (in classroom, streets or at home) due to insulin reaction, as he was a very brittle type one diabetic. Doctor predicted at that time he had only 10 more years to live, but he was giving talks to various interest groups and to the media, traveled and published, on top of teaching full time in an understaffed college, and you couldn’t tell him apart from any other busy profs judging by performance. Although not disabled, he was living on an edge of life and death. People often said to me that it was nice of me to love him and look after him, but the truth was that to share a big chunk of my life with someone like him, or rather, to be next to the accidents and the likelihood of sudden death of someone so youthful and so alive brought me the kind of understanding and perspectives I wouldn’t otherwise have had about life and death. That was the time I realised how silly self-pity is, and how completely wrong-headed to focus on ones insufficiencies!

I think someday we should have law against self-limiting activities much like law against cruelty to children or animals:-)

and I'll try the off-string son file tomorrow! Lovely story! The son file idea sounds really cool.

I also have worked with quadreplegics and found it to be one of the best things for my teaching ever -- after that, I believed anyone could do nearly anything if given enough time. The video on here some times ago of the violinist who manages to play by moving the violin because he has a missing right arm was amazing. Brought tears to my eyes.

These sort of reminders keep a sense of joy and expectancy in our lives. I never ride on motorcycles for any reason for any length of time -- too high of a risk, but if I were to become "disabled" in some way, I would hope that the inspiration that that job (and subsequently, my friend) had on me would enable me to keep my hope and will strong to live the best life I can dream of.