Session 13

Session 13 March 10
Today was full of small lessons. I spent the day with folks from other agencies running PAR programs from around Ontario and some key planners from the Ontario Victim Services Secretariat. We are a provincial advisory group looking at potentially large changes to the programs we run. I have been getting more excited than I imagined about possibility in spite of the usual there is no new money I left a bit before the group ended its day to make my 4:30 appointment. .

My first small lesson came at the Davisville subway station when I wound up on a bus that went to Bayview and stopped. I thought only buses going up Bayview through Sunnybrook stopped at the platform I was at. The lesson was look at the signs and the bus numbers.

I got a transfer and went to a stop on Bayview for a bus that never arrived. At about 3 minutes before my scheduled appointment I caught a cab. I had been standing there chatting with a visually impaired woman (caring a white cane) and I offered her a left, saying I supposed she was going to CNIB. She politely declined saying she was just going to Eglinton. Once again I was caught by stereotyping (or maybe she wasn’t about to take a cab with a strange man). Somehow I don’t think that was the issue. On the way up two stop lights were out and I realized why the buses were so slow, as traffic was at a crawl as we neared Eglinton and continued past what used to be Hogan Pontiac, a casualty of the GM bankruptcy.

I was late but my therapists didn’t seem to mind. I was also worried. I made big dietary changes to get gas out of system, cutting out fresh vegetables and whole grains. Everything ground to a stop and I felt awful. I was sure it would b e problem on the treatment table but treatment went ahead and the guys said I had never looked better inside. Another lesson learned; discomfort doesn’t necessarily mean gas.

When I left I tried the Lawrence bus for the first time in case the lights were still out. It worked very well so I should find out how frequently it runs. Not long after I arrived home Cherie turned up somewhat early and very ill. She had been forced to send clients home in mid session because of stomach flu. Patrick arrived shortly after and turned out to be a marvelous care giver, taking the role until late in the evening. It was a long and difficult night for Cherie but although I had to get up in the night to assist her Patrick’s support earlier really helped. Just the day before this sudden onset flu Cherie had been tenderly supporting me and will no doubt again. I love my family.