Day Program Ponders, What If…?

Ponder this: Do you take your physical abilities for granted? Have you ever thought to yourself, “What if I had a permanent physical limitation, would I view my life and the world around me differently?”

There was a fascinating case in which an employee sustained an injury. As a result, the employee wore an adaptive leg brace and was sequestered to using a wheelchair for ambulation until the leg healed.  This proved to be an incredible hardship for this employee as they now needed to rely upon others to assist them with many areas of their life.

This person, who has worked within the field of human services for many years, experienced a sudden, humbled enlightenment from their own personal experience. The employee then obtained a better understanding about people who, day after day, live with permanent physical limitations. The employee now readily demonstrates and exercises greater empathy towards others. So I ask you, should an employee have empathy towards another person’s physical disability prior to feeling compassion or do they both occur simultaneously?

With all actions or inactions, open your mind to “what if”…?

Respectfully Yours,

Dan Powaltz, Living Arts Center Coordinator

New Hope Community’s Living Arts Center takes tremendous a pride in the quality of life opportunities it provides to the individuals for whom we advocate. Exemplary consideration and insight is exercised to those whose physical abilities, due to age or other, may impede traditional or standard mobility. Programs, activities and endeavors are developed from an individual based stance. Our limitation is our imagination; our focus is the individual.

Self Helplessness Versus Self-Determination 

Ask yourself, “What is the difference between self helplessness and self-determination?”

Thinking about this topic, a story comes to mind concerning an exceptionally gifted person whom New Hope supports. Everyday, this gentleman would arrive to a scheduled program where he would immerse himself in an array of activities of his choosing. The same man would wait for some instruction and then act. The staff would inform the man when it was just about time for coffee. “Okay, I’ll wait,” the man would reply.

We can assume this practice went on for years, until this one day someone sitting along side him posed the question, “Wouldn’t it be nice if you could learn to make your own cup of coffee?” The man responded, “I don’t know how. I guess.” That “someone” who sat alongside him and coached him in the coffee-making process passed on their knowledge and skill to a man who now prepares his own cup of coffee on his schedule. This man is now self-determining where at one time in his life he was demonstrating self-helplessness.

So we ask ourselves: Do those whom we support in the mental health system become stronger in who they are tomorrow because we were there for them today?

Respectfully shared by,                                                                                              Daniel Powaltz, Living Arts Center Coordinator