by: Nerissa Cannon

BEYOND THE PAVEMENT

Nerissa is likely one of the authentic GRIT Freedom Chair Trailblazers! Her journey with continual sickness has made her very enthusiastic about serving to different folks get probably the most out of life regardless of a disabling situation.

All my life I’ve been drawn to nature. I feel most of us are, although few perceive precisely why. Science has proven that there are measurable bodily advantages to being in nature. Many, a few years in the past, John Muir made simply such an commentary:

Worry not, subsequently, to strive the mountain-passes. They may kill care, prevent from lethal apathy, set you free, and name forth each school into vigorous, enthusiastic motion. Even the sick ought to strive these so-called harmful passes, as a result of for each unlucky they kill, they treatment a thousand.

John Muir, The Mountains of California

I’d go to nature throughout probably the most tough instances of my life and would obtain inspiration and encouragement. Nature has numerous classes to supply. Once I developed a degenerative situation that affected my mobility, I couldn’t go to nature for consolation and meditation. As extreme as my bodily ache was, not having the ability to discover outside was much more painful. Certain I may drive by Nationwide Parks and Forests, however for me, it’s not sufficient to take a seat within the viewers; I should be part of the present.  I fell right into a darkish despair. I didn’t understand how I may stay the remainder of my life and never have the ability to get into nature. Simply as I used to be about to surrender, I acquired the best present I’ve ever been given: The GRIT Freedom Chair!

These closest to me may discover a distinction in me inside only a few days of receiving my GRIT Freedom Chair. That’s to not say my ache or frustrations ended, however now I had an outlet. Now I had a chunk of kit that in lots of situations may put me on an equal taking part in subject with an able-bodied individual. Now I may take myself INTO nature once more as an alternative of merely observing from the sidelines!

The kind of nature that enriches me isn’t unique. Whether or not it’s in the midst of sand dunes, a dense hardwood forest, a excessive mountain desert, and even the ocean, if I sit nonetheless I can really feel power pulsing round me. It invigorates my spirit, offers me power after I’m exhausted, and readability when my thoughts feels overwhelmed.

I’ve additionally had some fascinating insights the increasingly I used the Freedom Chair. I’m studying to understand my time in nature in a barely completely different approach. As an able-bodied hiker, I took delight in my tempo. Whereas I nonetheless set sure targets for myself, wheeling in nature has taught me that it’s OK to decelerate. I permit myself a slower tempo; I permit myself breaks to simply breathe, look, and pay attention. I don’t keep in mind permitting myself these easy moments alongside the best way as an able-bodied hiker. These pausing moments have been reserved for the summits.

I used to delight myself on my capability to finish technically difficult hikes. I used to be the kind of one that by no means turned again. If I began a hike I made it to the top in any other case it felt like I hadn’t “earned” the hike in any respect. Wheelchair climbing has taught me to be extra versatile and self-forgiving. I don’t at all times know after I begin a brand new path if I’ll make it to the top, and even how far I’ll make it. I do my greatest to be artistic when dealing with obstacles, however generally, as tough as it might be, I have to err on the aspect of warning, suppose security first, and switch again. It may be unsettling to not know what I’m getting myself into on a brand new route. Most of the time, although, it’s thrilling! I really feel like a pioneer! Give it some thought: the early explorers didn’t have trails for his or her carts or wagons. They didn’t know what kind of obstacles and challenges they might stumble upon, however they pressed on. I’m only a new form of Trailblazer!

“We want the tonic of wildness…On the similar time that we’re earnest to discover and be taught all issues, we require that each one issues be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us as a result of unfathomable. We are able to by no means have sufficient of nature”. – Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life within the Woods

Utilizing a wheelchair the place a wheelchair wasn’t designed to go additionally makes me extra in-tune and observant of path circumstances. All the things from the slope to adjustments in consistency of the grime or gravel, ruts from water runoff, and even placement of rocks. In my “simpler” climbing days I missed these tiny particulars. Really, I’m grateful to now really feel extra related and conscious of the character round me as I transfer alongside.

Certainly one of my most favourite Freedom Chair accomplishments is visiting Walden Pond. I first learn Walden in highschool and was fairly taken with it. Henry David Thoreau has offered many phrases of knowledge to assist me all through my life. The older I get, the extra fascinating I discover his work. Visiting Walden Pond was the very first thing I used to be actually excited by after I was employed to work for the summer time in Boston, MA.

The path loop round Walden Pond is NOT labeled as wheelchair accessible. The seashore space of the pond is, and there are even seashore wheelchairs obtainable for hire. Nevertheless, the primary draw of the state park (Thoreau’s cabin web site) has not been made ADA accessible. Essentially the most fascinating a part of that? I didn’t know that till I met sure obstacles on the path, but I used to be STILL capable of full the whole loop and “stand” on the location of Thoreau’s authentic cabin. My Freedom Chair gave me the flexibility to not should do intensive analysis earlier than going which is HUGE! Anybody with a incapacity can seemingly let you know in regards to the intensive planning usually required simply to take part in “regular” actions. Having the liberty to simply go for one thing is indescribable.

One other necessary aspect that helped me full the Walden Pond path loop was my able-bodied companion. Accepting occasional help on my hikes is one thing I’m consistently engaged on, however I’ve realized that my stubbornness can usually restrict the actions I can do with others. If I refuse assist, and all of us have to show again, then we’re all lacking out. By working collectively we will overcome much more! At Walden Pond, the one impediment that stymied my independence was an extended set of tall steps. I used to be glad we ended up going the route on the loop that allowed us to go DOWN the steps! Up would have been rather more tough, although I’m assured we may have pushed ahead collectively.

After battling numerous roots, rocks, and inclines, I arrived on the web site of Thoreau’s authentic cabin. I took nice delight on the surprised appears to be like on folks’s faces who weren’t precisely certain how I had arrived there utilizing solely my arms! I liked exhibiting off my Freedom Chair and answering their questions. I sat confidently subsequent to the long-lasting signal that reads:

I went to the woods as a result of I wanted to stay intentionally. . . and see if I couldn’t be taught what it needed to educate, and never, after I got here to die, uncover that I had not lived. – Henry David Thoreau

My expertise at Walden Pond jogged my memory how necessary it’s to make the outside accessible to everybody, no matter bodily capability. Nature has a lot to show and provide, and so many are unable to entry it. I hope to be an instance to point out that individuals with mobility challenges WANT to come back into nature, however there are boundaries too usually restrict them. Fortunately I’ve gear that helps me overcome numerous these boundaries I couldn’t in any other case, however there may be nonetheless numerous trailblazing to do!