And so... the day is upon us. Launch party at Waterstones book shop in Islington, London, 6-8 pm.
Smoke 'em if you've got 'em (only make sure you do it outside, what with the smoking ban, and all). Sound of plaintive harmonica drifts over the scene, as I sit in thoughtful pose, polishing my fountain pen (a gift from my mother), and making sure it's loaded.
The books have arrived, the drinks are due to land just before us, and then we have to work fast, loading the fridge and setting up defensive piles of books before the first wave comes in.
Enough. All I really have to do is try and nail a signature that looks the same twice, and speed my handwriting up to cope with the highly absorbent paper. Nervous? Moi?
You betcha.
I have made a few notes as to what to say, but I fear that I may be the only wheelchair user there, which could be rather embarrassing. I'm hopeful that there'll be at least another two, and I'm not sure what the problem would be if I was wheeling solo, it just seems right to have a few others around too, if only to show that I have made friends in the last three years of membership of the Spinal Cord Injuries Club.
The only thing I haven't done yet is slap plenty of ibuprofen gel on my neck, as there are not going to be many chairs for A.B.s to sit on. Which reminds me...
One of my first encounters with a public servant after my injury was at a benefits office, when this very helpful and rather nervous lady of about fifty started to give me the information I needed, only to stop suddenly and say out loud, "I'm just going to sit down so that I have come down to your level."
And I thought, "It doesn't really work so well if you TELL me why you're doing it."
Ah, the joys of disability awareness training. I shouldn't snipe, she was helpful, it's just that I find some people's nervousness about doing the wrong thing can often disable THEM completely.
I move out, offering a stiff necked salute. See you on the other side.
Smoke 'em if you've got 'em (only make sure you do it outside, what with the smoking ban, and all). Sound of plaintive harmonica drifts over the scene, as I sit in thoughtful pose, polishing my fountain pen (a gift from my mother), and making sure it's loaded.
The books have arrived, the drinks are due to land just before us, and then we have to work fast, loading the fridge and setting up defensive piles of books before the first wave comes in.
Enough. All I really have to do is try and nail a signature that looks the same twice, and speed my handwriting up to cope with the highly absorbent paper. Nervous? Moi?
You betcha.
I have made a few notes as to what to say, but I fear that I may be the only wheelchair user there, which could be rather embarrassing. I'm hopeful that there'll be at least another two, and I'm not sure what the problem would be if I was wheeling solo, it just seems right to have a few others around too, if only to show that I have made friends in the last three years of membership of the Spinal Cord Injuries Club.
The only thing I haven't done yet is slap plenty of ibuprofen gel on my neck, as there are not going to be many chairs for A.B.s to sit on. Which reminds me...
One of my first encounters with a public servant after my injury was at a benefits office, when this very helpful and rather nervous lady of about fifty started to give me the information I needed, only to stop suddenly and say out loud, "I'm just going to sit down so that I have come down to your level."
And I thought, "It doesn't really work so well if you TELL me why you're doing it."
Ah, the joys of disability awareness training. I shouldn't snipe, she was helpful, it's just that I find some people's nervousness about doing the wrong thing can often disable THEM completely.
I move out, offering a stiff necked salute. See you on the other side.
Hi Tim,
Just wanted to say I achieved something I didn't think was humanly possible for me to do on Sat. I read a book from cover to cover in 1 day!!! Yep 'Looking up' Really enjoyed it. I got involved with The Back up Trust a couple of years ago and now team lead for them so when they recomended your book I thought it looked like the sort of thing I would enjoy.
I have learnt a lot about dealing with a spinal injury but your account of the time spent in hospital has been a real help to me in visualising what people have dealt with and I can only see this as an advantage for me when I am running my next course.
Thanks for your honest and open account.
Sure it is going to be a best seller for you!!