Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The Fat Volunteer
One thing I think is important even if you end up on the low echelons of society, is to ask yourself, "What are you doing for other people?" Even if I die broke, I do think one wants to live a life where they have done things for other people. This isn't a gospel of works, as I adhere to the gospel of grace in my religious pursuits but being led to help others is part of what life is about. Some of my most satisfying parts of life have come about via my volunteer work. If you can put a smile on someone else's face, it does help you forget about your problems, maybe I volunteer out of that personal motivation too, but that is not a bad motivation.
One thing, personality wise, I am a person of causes and desiring to speak out, and have taken on an "activist" role in different capacities during life, this includes war protesting to protesting factory farms. Fortunately, if one is willing to give, there are people out there willing to work around your health problems. So you can be given a place in the community and I've been able to find it in my old one and here too.
Even this blog, I write, in a way to defend people who are stuck in my position, I do not want to see anyone almost die like I did and one day, want to see cures, and real help for the severely fat. This is a "cause" I am committed too. For all my own personal suffering, and perhaps I bore some to tears here with the ins and outs of a body run amuck, I know this country is getting full of people like me. That said, even as severe as I have it, I can still walk, talk, shower myself, cook a meal, get in a car and drive [two miles and if its warm enough]. Many cannot, they see their lives even more destroyed by severe obesity, ending up bedbound, and there are thousands now in the nursing home. I am not kidding and they are INVISIBLE to society mostly outside the few Discovery Health channel network shows that usually focus on selling weight loss surgery.
Even in size acceptance, while some may say we are just the .05%, we are there, and should not be shunted off. There are many orphan [rare] diseases with far less patients who get far more funding and help then the severely obese. Sometimes I do go looking for websites, you know that have this focus, outside of a few fat bloggers in the upper weight echelons, there is essentially NOTHING. So whose speaking out for those in the severe obesity camp?
I guess I am, and while it's not easy, I plan to continue as long as I am able.
"I plan to continue as long as I am able."
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Thanks, I appreciate that. :)
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly "get" everything your blog is saying. You are my HERO. It comforts me to know you are out there trying to get yourself heard. I hear you and am encouraged by you.
Deletexo