Disability Awareness Month, the Big Bill Spells Disaster, and Essay Writing, Plus a New Poem in Cave Wall Review

Goldfinch in wildflowers

A Tough Week: Disability Awareness Month, the Big Bill, Essay Writing

Did you know this is Disability Awareness Month? I’ve been spending a lot of time deep breathing and walking in the lavender field to take my mind off the stress of this week’s passing of the “Big Bill” that will end up taking away money from disabled people, hospitals, nursing homes, and of course, hungry children. I didn’t celebrate July 4th at all—no fireworks, except Glenn made a cake to share with neighbors, which feels appropriate. I guess after cutting SNAP we better up our donations to food banks too. Not feeling very fond of my country, and especially its leadership, right now.

Glenn and I in wildflowers in Woodinville

So, my anger and the urgency of the issues made me turn to an unfamiliar genre—essays, which will be read by more people and faster than poetry. So, I sent out two essays and one of them was already accepted (to be published in September). Luckily, the timing of my essay writing class could not be better—prompts and workshops every week and I’m already feeling more confident. I feel like the abled world does not understand the thin thread that disabled/chronically ill people walk between dying and not dying all the time—based on insurance, availability of drugs and doctors and hospitals, and oh yeah, a caretaker because you can’t do everything anymore.

This “big beautiful bill” puts everything on that thin line in jeopardy, and Republicans that signed it have signed the literal death warrant for disabled people, people in poverty, and some of those poor and disabled will be children. I hope the tax cut for billionaires will be worth it for them. I hope they all lose their seats in congress when people figure out what they’ve done. I cannot wait for Trump and the GOP to be out of power. It cannot happen soon enough—and literally, if it doesn’t, I will be forced to reconsider leaving the country. Did I mention Microsoft has laid off 15,000 in two months? (That’s where my insurance comes from, from Glenn’s job.) So that isn’t helping my anxiety at all. I am looking at viable options for both school and work out of the country at this point, just in case. A place with free health care and free school would be amazing. Why don’t we have those things in this country? Why don’t we start demanding them? One of the themes of this year’s Pride parade was “loud” and I feel like that applies to Disability Awareness Month as well. Keeping quiet will not protect us and it won’t protect others.

Sylvia with Cave Wall

New Poem in Cave Wall 

But I would be amiss if I didn’t say I was thankful to receive my contributor’s copy of Cave Wall, where I had a poem, “Self-Portrait as Wisteria on a May Night.” There were lots of friends in the TOC too. Here’s a sneak peek at the poem, but check out the whole issue too.

Hummingbird in fountain

Next Week: Anniversaries, Birthdays, and Guest Teaching in Eastern Oregon

So next week is eventful—Glenn and my anniversary, Glenn’s birthday, and me getting prepared for the trip to Eastern Oregon for a teaching/reading opportunity at the low-res MFA program’s New Nature Writing Conference. I’ve never been and I’m looking forward to meeting the people and the students and seeing what Eastern Oregon looks like. I’m just trying to juggle a lot right now, plus the stresses mentioned at the beginning of this post. Thank goodness for hummingbirds and gardening and writing. I hope you are all taking good care of yourselves—and check this space for more info on essays soon!