Thanksgiving

This is the appropriate day to specifically reflect on what I have to be thankful for.
That can be a tall order. Little more than two years ago, I was blind in one eye, but fully functional, self sufficient and independent.
I left the narrative in summer of 2010 when I was regaining some function. Things have gotten more complicated since then, and to spoil things towards "the ending" things have gotten worse even since I started this blog a little more than a month ago. The typing, proofreading and spellchecking are all more difficult now than those things were a month or so ago.
I am grateful that I still have some hope that some things can be done to make things better.
I am grateful that I have retained my sense of humor, and I give kudos again to the bowling partner whose surly humor directed at me helps ensure that I hold on to the ability to laugh at myself as well as others. Most of the real cutting edge humor is born of anger, and the situation has ensured that my lifelong comedic talents–which some people insist exist only in my own head–remain.
I appreciate the friend mentioned in an earlier post as having gotten into a fender bender in my vehicle while driving me for groceries. He in particular has been a rock for me through this. My appreciation is boundless.
I appreciate my roommate, someone who had remained in residence over the years mostly because I can cook and I had always been the rock he leaned on. We don’t always get along so smoothly. There’s aspects to the going blind decline that he just doesn’t get and psychologically can’t get. But he sees the worst of my bad moods and despair, and has done his best to adjust to the role reversal of my becoming the needy one.
I appreciate the bowling partners past and present who have provided transportation to get me there each week. I have been largely homebound aside this very odd activity for a blind guy. All of my teammates in all leagues over the past two years have been great in emphasizing that they didn’t care about scores or rankings that suffered for my disability. We’re all there to have a good time. One actually was not supportive and helpful, but he can be very hard to like anyway, so I appreciate that he chose not to bowl with me the following year;
I appreciate the tenants who have been patient and helpful as my capacity diminished. Those who refused to accommodate are gone now, and I appreciate that fact as well.
There’s countless other people who have provided rides or little favors, whether one-time or recurring. I have gotten very used to being the curmudgeon who goes it alone, so I am amazed and so very grateful that this hellish situation has shown me some very appealing sides to the people I have chosen to be around me in the days when I truly didn’t need anybody.