Tolerance

If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

It’s often a word that is used in place of acceptance, as if it means the same thing when in reality I would argue that it means the opposite.

To tolerate something or someone is to put up with their existence, this comes with a general idea that you do not like or support their existence, but you’ll just deal with it because you have to.

To accept something or someone is to understand and support its right to exist. You want that person in the world.

See how the words are different, very different I believe. They definitely shouldn’t be used to interchangeably.

It’s the only place I get to be me.

Why do you blog?

While, I started this blog with the more specific topic of accessibility, it has become more about my life generally. I thought that I started it initially as a place to share inaccessibilities that I experience in my life, starting with this more specific topic, hoping it would keep me writing. I did this specifically as I have tried and failed at blogging for a continued period of time. But for some reason, this blog stuck, and it’s still going.

I think it leant itself towards my life experiences generally and some other bits of writing. And trying to post daily blog posts, though I have had to backdate a few became a clear motivator in keeping me writing. As well as giving me something in the day that felt like my own, and if I’m really honest with myself something that it didn’t feel like my disability prevented me from completing.

My blog has become my space to write about the things I feel in a more free way. And though I don’t feel completely free to share everything openly here, it is one of the places I feel most free on all of the internet.

And now because I haven’t slept, I’m going for a nap. Have a good Saturday.

I could do with doing this more let’s be honest.

What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?

I’m struggling to focus on this at the moment, it’s almost 5am as I write this so that should be obvious.

While I guess I struggle with this a lot of the time, it’s hard to pinpoint what I do at these time, and if the things I think I do are even for the best.

I think I give myself the time and space to sleep and rest. But maybe that does me more harm than good, maybe it’s just me trying to escape everything and why I’m up at 5am.

Music can be helpful, but can also hurt, as it can trigger memorises of things I’m trying to get away from.

Watching my favourite shows or my comfort shows can be a nice escape, but if I finish a show it can be upsetting for me emotionally. I haven’t really considered properly why this might be.

Writing can help but often I fall into the trap of putting to much pressure on myself to complete a goal, so this stops becoming helpful.

Anything else that I may like to do to help my own wellbeing, I generally need help with. And besides not wanting to be more to burden to those around me, this can also be a trigger for me. A reminder of the things I’m trying to escape from.

I don’t know if this makes sense at all. And I’m even less sure, I might just of wrote it as an escape from going to sleep, which I should really do as I have plans in a few hours. Plans that I now don’t really want to do. I’m so tired but can’t sleep.

But maybe I should take the fact that I felt drawn to writing this prompt, as a sign that I’m getting myself back into writing a little bit. And maybe now I’m putting too much pressure on myself to start writhing again. I don’t know anymore.

I want to write.

I think I want to write. I can feel the ideas, feel the words. But for some reason I can’t put my pen to paper, even the virtual sense. So I resort what I always resort to at these times, to writing thing about writing.

They say you should write what you feel, and I guess when you experience writers block, writing about writers block makes sense. But I don’t know if I have writers block. I don’t know if I really understand what writers block actually is. And I don’t think trying to understand whether or not I actually have writers block, will help me with the whole writing thing.

Why is it so hard to do the things you really want to do?

It’s the only thing I know that just maybe I’m any good at, why can’t I just do it?

The irony of me being informed after I posted this, that this is my 500th post on this blog is not lost on me.

I’m disabled.

Language matters. And to some, the word disabled is the wrong word to use.

Some people prefer words like “differently abled” or “different ability”, but I’ll be honest these don’t sit right with me.

To me using the word disabled is simply factual. I am disabled, while there are some things I do differently, there are things I cannot do. And I don’t think this is something I should feel bad about or not acknowledge.

I feel like those who don’t use the word disabled want to change the language to make them feel better about their disability, which is of course their right to do. But I would rather own the language.

There’s nothing wrong with being disabled. It makes you who you are and you deserve to live in the world.

Being differently abled doesn’t make you not disabled, and that’s okay. Disabled is not a bad word, it just is. And I don’t like it when people think it is, it feels like they think I’m wrong for existing and being happy with that.

I don’t really know what else to say about this, without repeating myself. But remember language changes for us, we don’t need to change for language.

Listening to music.

What activities do you lose yourself in?

I could listen to music all day ever day. It’s a major form of escapism for me. The only one I can partake in when the fatigue hits.

While I can’t say I have a favourite song, I love music to much just to pick one song. I can say that my current go to song is linked below.

Music is amazing. But as much as I don’t like silence, if I want to focus on what I’m doing then I have to have tv on rather than music. If I have music on I will just get too lost in the lyrics to be focusing on what I’m supposed to be focusing on.

So if I’m ever ignoring you, when I’m listening to music, know that I’m not doing it on purpose. I’ve just got lost in a song or two.

What’s your current go to song?

Why do I try to post daily?

If you actually read my blog regularly, which I thank you very much for by the way. Then you’ll notice I try to post something daily, occasionally though I will admit that I have backdated a post or two. But you may also have noticed that some of posts have more substance than others.

This is because I have more motivation to write on some days than others. But I force myself to write something, anything, almost daily. And yes writing this post about writing posts is me trying to write something with zero motivation or idea what to write about.

I do this because despite how difficult I find it write some says writing is freedom to me. Writing sometimes feels like the only outlet I have in life, the only level playing field that I have.

I love to write. I feel sometimes that I need to write, and yet sometimes that I can’t write. So writing something daily, is better than writing nothing. There was a time when I wrote nothing, and it was a very emotionally dark time in my life. At least it’s putting words to paper, or screen to be more accurate.

From what I’ve read in the writers groups I’m in, I suppose you could say I have a major case of writers block. I want to write so badly, I have all the ideas. But I often lack the motivation to work on my ideas, or worse the physical and/or emotional energy.

When I do have the motivation but I lack the energy, I feel like my body has yet again betrayed me, in the only thing I feel I’m supposed to be good at.

I’m disabled after all.

But every word, every sentence, every post is me trying. Trying not to let the doubts or my body win. Trying to do something that I enjoy, even when I’m not enjoying it.

Aegosexuality

What’s your favorite word?

I can’t remember if I’ve stated this explicitly on this blog before, but I’m Aegosexual. This is a subset of Asexuality.

A better definition of the term can be found here. But the way I understand the term personally is that as soon as I become part of the sexual situation I am no longer interested in it. The other way I describe this is a disconnect between myself and sex.

The reason this is my favourite word is because of what finding this term did to me personally. It made my sexuality make sense.

It’s confusing to know you have some interest in sex but don’t actually want that. In an allosexual world that views desire and action as interchangeable.

If you’d like me to write a little more on Asexuality and my experiences of it let me know.

Sorry.

If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?

I spend a lot of my life apologies for things that someone doesn’t need to apologise for. Sometimes it’s just for existing as me.

It’s definitely some form of internalised ableism that I haven’t managed to let go of just yet. At this point in my life I’m not sure if I ever will.

But I know that I should. Logically I know I need to stop apologising for just being. But knowing something and doing something can be two different things.

So not being able to say it would probably help me in the long run.