The Adventures of the Blind/ Low Vision/ Visually Impaired Girl- Volume 30: The Bucket List
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLSaRKhv7nQ&feature=player_detailpage
This week, amid the recent talk about the end of the world, I began to think about what items were on my bucket list the things I would like to do, see and experience before the end of my life. And although I am sure that the list will change, I found that being visually impaired did not really have that much impact on that list. But first……………
My WTF of the week is people who think it is OK to let their child or adolescent have Botox/other injectables or even plastic surgery. The “Toddlers in Tiaras” moms and, on occasion, dads, are using these methods to make their children more “beautiful”. I am sure everyone has heard of the Botox mom who gave her 8 year old injections to make her look better and also said she was not the only one doing it. Then there are the teenage girls getting lipo and boob jobs. Here is my question, what doctors or other health professionals are allowing this to happen. Doctors block families from removing life support and override other decisions in order to aggressively save lives, but they will go along with a mom who is allowing her 14 year old to have lipo and breast augmentation. I did not even think your boobs had grown to their full size by then, so why would you mess with them. I know bullying is an issue and I was bullied for being a fat kid, but is that really a valid reason to get a nose job as a teen. And I don’t at all buy it when the parents say they are just doing it to make their child happy because it is what she wants. I wanted a pony and a 68 Mustang convertible and a Barbie Dream house and I did not get those and was not scarred by it. What if your kid wanted some drugs to make them happier, would these parents go out and get an 8 ball for their teen. I think not. Why are we teaching our children to be focused on outer beauty and to gain their self-worth from that beauty and that what we look like, our God given looks, are not OK and are just not good enough. What a fantastic way to screw your child up for a lifetime.
This week I can’t get enough of my new device with vibrating rotating heads. And, no, it is not what you think. It is an epilator. An epilator is a device that kind of looks like an electric razor but actually has rotating heads that rip out your hair like tweezers. So instead of shaving your legs you are, in fact, tweezing your legs. What this means is that your hair grows back in two weeks instead of two days and is finer over time. I was turned on to the epilator by the esthetician who does waxing at my salon, although she called it a dilipidator. So I did my research and price comparison and ended up with a Braun unit. For a hairy Sicilian like me who has to shave every other day the thought of not shaving for two weeks is like a small miracle and greatly outweighs the pain involved with ripping the hairs out. I have not tried it yet, as I am growing out my leg hairs to the length required for the epilator to rip them out, but I have heard pain is involved. A telling fact is that my Braun came with an ice pack. The esthetician said it would be helpful to have a drink and a painkiller before using it, but since I don’t drink and pain killers don’t work on me I will use the ice pack and go for it. I will let you know how bad the pain is and how long I remain without hair on my legs. And if it is not that painful I am doing the underarm area!
As soon as I found out the world was going to end (of course nothing happened) I started thinking about all the things I wanted to do before I die. I reserve the right to change my list, but for now, here are some of the items:
1) Places to see—Italy, Easter Island, and The Galapagos. Australia and New Zealand, Stonehenge and maybe the Great Pyramid. I also would like to go to Rio during Carnival and dance on a float.
2) I want to climb up a mountain, even a small one.
3) I want to jump off a cliff into the ocean, not dive headfirst. Just jump.
4) I want to be able to play the drums really well.
5) I want to have my own radio or TV show or special. With Oprah off network TV there is avoid!
6) I want to act and sing and dance in a play.
7) I want to run a half marathon.
Admittedly there was one about being able to do a specific move on a stripper pole (for fitness purposes only) but that seemed a little too risqué for the list. It goes without saying that you want all my family and friends to be happy and I want my daughter to grow up to be a happy stable and contributing member of society and to be there to see that, but that is more of an if you could wave a magic wand list. I will say there are a few things I may add when I get new retinas and those will be learning to snow ski, doing a triathlon and driving a race car.
Making the bucket list also made me think about why we have these lists in the first place. For me, it is about living life fully and about having something to look forward to and to strive for. It gives me hope that I can accomplish things and engage in activities that inspire me and fill me with awe and wonder. And it reminds me that there is not a timeline or an age limit on challenging myself and taking some risks. To me, the bucket list adds spice to what could be a bland life. So I recommend making one and then setting out to do some of the things, if not all, on your list.
Keep Moving Forward,
Beth (BLOVI) Medlock
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