All posts by JamieJordan

I had moves…just not like Jagger

My whole life I grew up around music. In the 1980’s there was no satellite radio, no CDs. What we had were cassette tapes. Even at that age, I realized that music was going to be very important to me. There was just something about music that spoke to me. Even today, music is very much a mood elevator for me and takes me from being in a rotten mood to a not-so-rotten mood. My parents owned records like Dan Seals, George Straight, and other country records. One of the cassette tapes I had was Huey Lewis and the News. I remember listening to that cassette over and over and over again. I was about 6 years old. My Mom would put that cassette in the player and I would roll all over the floor. I couldn’t dance. Remember, the whole legs thing? I looked like I was trying to learn how to do a break-dance head spin and was really sucking at it. Those are some of my fondest childhood memories.

My musical education started on a school bus. Thanks to a man named Benny. He is largely responsible for the early years of my musical education. Here’s the story in my own words, because well…I’m to lazy to type.

I still love Michael to this day. So much so, that I’m thinking of getting a mask and letting my inner moonwalker out

Learn something new every day

Even Superman had to learn the art of dating and fashion to get Lois. The human brain is maybe the most impressive part of the human body, and we only use 10% of it. If you truly want to be successful in life, understanding what you don’t know, and working to make yourself better is absolutely necessary.

Want to be happy? Then do what makes you happy every day

Being happy every day is something that everyone struggles with at one time or another. Everyone wants it and if you go to a library or search on the Internet the debate of how to get it rages  everywhere. There are two things every person should know about being happy,. First being happy every day is a choice, you have to wake up each and every day and decide that it’s going to be a good day despite everything else that may be going on in your life, Second, you have to decide what makes you happy and make time for it each and every day.

Two things that  have the ability to alter my mood and make me happy are  video games and music.  I admit I struggle to find Time each and every day for one or both of these. That said on a particularly bad day when I’m in a really bad mood, I know that all I have to do is put on some music and let it wash over me or pick up a video game to drastically change my outlook.

If you don’t know what makes you happy the first step is figuring it out. Keep in mind that this is just for you., no one else. So it basket weaving is your thing then do it. Also keep in mind that it doesn’t always have to be an activity. There are specific people in my life who I know believe in me and support me, and spending time with those people makes every day life much more bearable. When I can’t listen to music or play video games, a word from those people can make my entire day worth it.

Girls Worth losing a wheel over

When I was about 14 years old, I lived near a city pool. I would always go to this pool because there were girls there. I didn’t swim, obviously….guy in a wheelchair. I just went there to be around the girls. That sounds a lot worse than it was. It was a good way to hang out with girls, since there was little else to do in my neighborhood. And it was about the only way they were going to take off their clothes for me. Come on now…every 14 year old boy was thinking the same thing.

City Pool

Let’s get back to our story…

It was a fairly uneventful activity for me to go to the pool and then go home. But this particular day was different.

Something didn’t seem quite right with my chair-mobile that day. It was making some strange noises. Of course, like most drivers I just kept driving anyway, hoping that the noises were just normal “chair noises”.

Look Cool Chair

Luckily, I got to hang out with the lifeguard and the girls and have my daily dose of socialization mixed with hormonally driven girl-watching.

On the way back home, the chair was still making the funny noise…

And then the wheel fell off.

This was in the 90’s. I didn’t carry a cellphone in that decade. As far as I know, there is no roadside assistance or “on-star” for people in wheelchairs. Someone should really look into that.

Luckily, when the wheel came off, the chair landed in such a way that I was still sitting up, but my wheel was gone.

Think of every redneck show you’ve ever seen that has cars in the yard with no wheels, and that’s what I looked like. At least that’s what I felt like. Suddenly, I hoped the girls I came to look at would not be looking at me. I couldn’t bend down to get the wheel, because if I did the chair would tip over and I would be on the ground…in the parking lot. A crippled guy laying on the July Texas asphalt burning to death while girls in bikinis watched. No, I think I’ll just sit here, thanks.

People thought I was just chilling out in the parking lot, and were waving as they drove by, as if nothing was wrong. I know what you’re thinking…didn’t they notice my peril? Maybe Jamie’s happy-face is really similar to his “OMG my wheel fell off face”?

Is this part of his condition? Maybe Jamie’s “hello” wave is really similar to a frantic “please help me I’m dying” wave? How could this be? Maybe we should make one of those facial-expression emotion charts and tape it to his wheelchair?

Faces

There’s a good reason why people thought I was just chilling, and it’s none of the things you were probably thinking.

I was sort of smiling…happily. And I was hoping no one would notice the missing wheel.

You see, I didn’t want anyone to tell my parents about my wheel problem in a distraught way. I needed someone who could relay the message as if it was no biggie. Because if they sensed that my coming to the pool to look at girls was dangerous, well… I wouldn’t be able to do it anymore! So, to continue my evil summer plan to hang out with naked girls, I had to break this wheel thing to my parents in the best way possible. So I smiled and waved to unknown passerby and acted as if nothing was wrong.

Nothings Wrong

Eventually a friend from the neighborhood came by that knew me and came close enough for me to point out my situation quietly and I finally got some help with my wheel. Overall, it was great day.

There are a few things you could take from this situation. One is that like most everything else in life, wheelchairs are unpredictable. And stuff just happens. And they don’t make ‘em like they used to.

The second thing you should take from this story, and it’s a point that I’ve made in this book before; Wheelchair or not, I’m just a guy. And my thoughts were about the same as any other boy’s at 14 years old.

So You want to have a Successful Life? You’re Going to Need Support

Life is hard, we all know that. I struggle each and everyday. Some days more than others. My life got a lot easier the day I understood that I needed support to achieve everything in life that I want. This site was designed and built by a woman who is part of my support system. She along with many others have gotten me where I am today. I may have gotten there on my own eventually but having that support has made my journey easier. What every you want to do in life, there is probably someone out there who will back you up. Are you willing to find them?

Everything that is worth doing requires persistence

If there’s one thing I learned about life, it is that very little it Is given to you. For most of us, if we want something we have to work to get it. Getting what you want in life requires knowing yourself and understanding how hard you’re willing to work to reach your goals

Dreams are what makes life worth living

I know for a lot of people life is a struggle. It gets harder as we get older. Getting out of bed some days becomes a monumental task. I think the major reason for this is that we let go of our dreams and stop thinking about what would make us happy. We get bogged down in the worries and stress of life. We stop thinking about the absolutely wondrous possibilities each day could hold and we lose ourselves. Happiness is it in your dreams and working toward them. Even If they never come true.

Help yourself by helping someone else

It really is that simple. I don’t have time to focus on my problems when I’m helping someone else. Being a positive influence on people people around you has the potential to change their lives in ways that you can’t imagine

Support NEW MEDIA ARTS

I’m very lucky to be able to work for a nonprofit that wants to bring the arts to people who are homebound or Live in an area that may not have access to the arts. The really cool thing about it, is that it’s all being done through the Internet and virtual worlds such as Second Life


If you shop at Amazon, you can sign up at Amazon Smile, and they’ll donate a small amount for each purchase:

Amazon Smile

Find out more about new media arts.

www.avatarmediaproductions.org
http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/
www.newmediaarts.org