Monday, March 4, 2013

Building Bridges and Leading Full Lives

Crossposted from Blogetary:

I haven’t signed on in a little while. Between visitors, the holidays, a cold from hell and an intense need to just hibernate (without the ability to actually do so) I decided to drop a few things, blogging being one of them. I kept meaning to, but in the grand scheme of things, blogging was just one of those things that didn’t seem as important as say sleeping.

But, January and February are over (Thank God!) and March has just begun. I feel a renewed energy to hopefully get sh*t done.

One of the things I wanted to get done, but couldn’t seem to before now, was share about a wonderful interview I had the pleasure of conducting last summer. I was contacted by the editor at The Phoenix Magazine, the publication for the UOAA (United Ostomy Associations of America). He asked me to speak with Bobbie Brewer, a woman who, after having to have an ileostomy at a relatively young age, has since contributed greatly to the ostomy community. After an inspiring and motivating talk with Bobbie Brewer, many of my petty problems seemed like just that – petty.

If you know anyone who has had to deal with body altering and life changing surgeries, then you know it can sometimes be a long haul before the get their life back, figure out their way around the road blocks and regain their sense of independence. Help often comes through volunteer-run support communities and Bobbie Brewer has been an integral part of that community for about 50 years. You can read a portion of my interview with her in The Phoenix Magazine here.  Or go to phoenixuoaa.org to order the December 2012 issue and read the complete article there. They have both print and electronic copies.

2 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

I'll check it out. I know what you mean when you talk to certain people and your own problems slip into the background. It's a good thing, something many of us, me for example, need more often.

Rachel V. Olivier said...

Yeah, perspective is a good thing to get every once in a while.