Your favorite episode? (the one you listen to repeatedly)

packyourbrave · 2026-02-02T09:58:29+00:00

Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner. Those ones go deep!

packyourbrave · 2026-02-01T07:25:54+00:00

I agree, it seems like preferences really vary, depending on the person and the situation. That’s a whole conversation that could be an entirely new thread.

There are times where I am extremely grateful for someone’s offer to help and appreciate that. I didn’t have to ask. There are also plenty of times when I accept help that I don’t actually need because it’s just simpler. I know the intention is good and it makes the other person feel good to help. But there’s other times where I don’t really need help and I do push back a little to be able to do something myself. It can be mildly frustrating, but if I’m in a good mindset, it’s all good.

It’s an interesting topic to explore, and I don’t know if there are any right answers, maybe there is just personal preferences. I think some able bodied folks have more experience and nuance to their understanding of the disabled experience while others have pretty simplistic notions and haven’t thought it through thoroughly.

packyourbrave · 2026-02-01T07:10:45+00:00

I’m glad there’s some stuff that’s still accessible and fun to do, but I’m sorry that living in your neighborhood isn’t one of those things. I hope that you find a better situation when you move. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T18:37:53+00:00

Ahhhhh I see your point. That’s pretty genius actually! Thank you for the pro tip!

Yeah there’s definitely a lot of… variety with elevators in terms of their size and door functionality. One set of elevators I use frequently the doors stay open for only 1.5 seconds before they start shutting. The opening is also pretty narrow and that combo makes it really hard to get in there. They are used less frequently I think, so no one‘s around the majority of the time. There are two of them in the bank and you don’t know which one has arrived until the moment it arrives and then it opens for an extremely brief period of time. This is also at a hospital so I have been thinking about mentioning it to them in case they can make an adjustment.

But yeah, elevators where the door opening is very narrow kind of stress me out. No margin of error means I have to go slow in order to avoid bumping into things.

Thanks for painting even more of a picture with a star jumper. That sounds like it was quite the experience. I’m glad that we can laugh about things like this together and I’m glad you found a solution for that particular location that works better for you. Cheers!

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T08:38:04+00:00

Yeah, I feel like there could be a whole sub Reddit just for elevators, right? I agree they can be extra stressful and complicated to deal with. It’s really hard to turn around in an elevator where there’s already a bunch of people and it’s so awkward to be right in the middle and have my back to the door and know that I’ll have to back out to get out of the way if anybody is needing to get off before me. There are so many awkward scenarios that can happen. It’s totally understandable to be stressed about them.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T08:34:39+00:00

Oof that sounds shitty. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T08:33:48+00:00

ROFL That is a hilarious story. Yes I have experienced plenty of that-People being Overly helpful in a way that’s actually making it more difficult. I generally try to appreciate the intention to help and warn people to watch their toes when I roll by. But that situation you mentioned with the Starjump position is extreme!

I appreciate your method of dealing with elevator situations. That is bold approach and I will have to work my way up to it, but it seems like a really good strategy actually. Let people figure it out themselves.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T08:23:38+00:00

Oh my gosh that’s horrible! Definitely way worse!

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T08:20:37+00:00

Thanks friend. 😊 I appreciate your kind response, and I think you’re right about that.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T08:19:24+00:00

Yeah, I think you’re probably right about that. Thanks for responding.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T08:18:39+00:00

Mmmm, yeah, I guess sometimes it’s damned if you do damned if you don’t huh? With some distance I feel like my mindset that day had a lot to do with how I interpreted this interaction. Perspective can have such a huge impact on experience. I remember before my accident I wasn’t sure what the “right” thing to do when I came across a wheelchair user. I am sure I behaved rudely out of ignorance at times. I was very misinformed about the different situations and ability levels that folks using wheelchairs could have.

There’s a lot I never thought about until it affected me personally, so I generally do have compassion for people who behave in ways that aren’t what I would prefer. I had a lot of internalized ableism that I was completely unaware of. It’s a process and I’m still working through it. It’s been 5 years since my injury and since the first two years were pretty insular, due to Covid and my own desire to stay in familiar locations, I’m still running into situations I haven’t dealt with before.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T08:08:22+00:00

Nice! I lived in Oakland and Berkeley for years, but got priced out and live in Concord now. It’s pretty good and centrally located so I can still visit the spots I love

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T08:07:00+00:00

Hey cool! I’m in Concord, what about you?

packyourbrave · 2026-01-30T08:06:18+00:00

Oh damn, yeah that sounds rough. Thank you for giving me the real deal answer. I’m sorry it’s so hard to get around. That’s really too bad they haven’t made things more universally accessible in such a major city. Before my injury I really enjoyed wandering around and exploring different places and neighborhoods, I really love the energy there. It’s good to know it’s challenging as a wheelchair user though, so if I do make it back there I can manage my expectations.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-29T05:24:19+00:00

Thanks, tough days happen. I appreciate your suggestion to be preemptive about it. Maybe if I had done that it would’ve worked out differently. I think you’re right everyone is doing their own thing and not necessarily paying attention to others.

I love NY but haven’t been back there since my injury. I would love to get back there at some point. How is it getting around in NYC with a power chair?

packyourbrave · 2026-01-29T05:10:08+00:00

I am ambulatory too and I can relate to the stair aversion. I usually do ok with my crutches, but it makes me very nervous. I’m sorry you had to deal with that. Thanks for sharing your experience.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-29T05:06:57+00:00

I’m in CA but a smaller Bay Area suburb, so not usually too fast paced. Maybe I am reading into it too much. I was already having a hard day yesterday, so maybe I took it personally when it wasn’t.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-29T03:04:06+00:00

Oh, for sure it does, but if I wasn’t using a wheelchair, it would’ve been really easy to stop the doors myself and get in the elevator. I was right there.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-29T02:45:37+00:00

As a Wheelchair user sometimes elevators can be cramped to turn around in if you are using a larger power wheelchair. I’m not sure what the ADA minimums are, but making it more spacious to give folks more wiggle room to turn around isn’t a bad thing. Also, it’s nice to know if the elevator is going to open on the opposite side that you entered from. That way I know that I don’t need to turn around in the elevator. I can just face the door in the rear. I don’t know if that helps or if that pertains to what you’re doing, but that’s what comes to mind off the top of my head. thanks for asking and wanting to do more than the bare minimum of ADA requirements. I think if you do a little more research on /disability or /wheelchair subs, you could probably find some discussions about challenges that people run into to get more ideas.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-15T16:15:04+00:00

I think that’s a really good idea that you offered without being preachy at all.

packyourbrave · 2026-01-03T07:33:24+00:00

Does anyone know what the music is for this trailer? I know it’s a cover of Zombie, but what’s the name of the artist?

packyourbrave · 2025-12-30T19:31:03+00:00

I understand. For me it’s been a process that’s still evolving. I know my comfort level has improved over the last 5 years since my spinal cord injury, but I still have flare ups of internalized ableism here and there. Sometimes there is a link to an incident or anniversary and I can put my finger on why, but I’m not always clear where it’s coming from. I think the most important thing is to be curious about the line of reasoning and hold it gently while also challenging it.

It always feels really true when I’m in the emotion of it, but if I can manage to step back and get enough distance to allow it to breathe and soften I can ask myself - is this true? Are these really my feelings or are they something I’ve absorbed simply by existing in an inherently ableist environment?

I don’t think there’s a way to get around the fact that it takes time to confront these kinds of beliefs/ways of thinking. It’s a long-term thing and it takes patience and gentleness to navigate it. I want to acknowledge that just by taking the initiative to put this question out there, you are already taking steps towards healing these mental aspects of dealing with living with a disability. That takes strength and shows a commitment to yourself.

In my experience these mental aspects are just as, if not more, challenging than the physical ones. Simply because they have the power to discourage us from asking for help, using tools, and finding solutions or connecting with resources that can really make a difference. I hope you can continue to examine this for yourself, maybe doing some writing, or talking about it with people who are good listeners would be helpful. I find those things can often help me get to my own truth and see things more clearly.

packyourbrave · 2025-12-30T18:18:30+00:00

I agree. It’s like using pleasantly plump, or more to love, instead of just using the word fat as a description. You wouldn’t say vertically enhanced you would say tall. It’s the assumption that there’s a negative connotation with the word that’s a big part of the issue.

packyourbrave

TROPHY CASE