The View from Down Here…

The journey of life is both adventurous and unpredictable.
There are so many things I want to do and so many things I have left behind.
I don’t know where I’m going or what I will become;
The road I have taken may not be the best path
Or it may not be the road to success,
All I hope is that it’s the road to somewhere.

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Disability: Something that hinders a person from completing normal, everyday tasks.

For me, this word has become all too familiar in my vocabulary and I have been trying to understand its meaning for a long time. An unfortunate illness on September of 1997 made me a quadriplegic and my life was headed in a whole new direction. I have been in a wheelchair for 11 years and it is amazing how many things are brought to your attention once your point of view is lowered a couple of feet. The views of beer bellies and six-packs increase dramatically and the previously altitudinal-challenged first graders lick their chops at the sight of a new play toy. My wheelchair appears like a moving jungle jim and they can’t wait for recess. As I became accustomed to my new surroundings, one glaring problem has reared its ugly head towards my direction.

It all started on a beautiful, sunny weekend afternoon as I drove through the maze of the mall parking lot looking for a space to park. Isle after isle, the spaces were filled with every make of car imaginable. Frantically, I drove in circles looking for a good spot for my Ford van. I am in a wheelchair, so my search was greatly decreased; my van was way to big to fit in those “compact” spaces. As I looked through the sea of faded Honda Civics and shiny, freshly waxed Cadillac Escalades, my patience began to wear thin. Finally, I arrived at the front of the store and headed to the disabled parking area. To my dismay, all the spots were full with other vehicles. “No problem,” I said to myself; I knew that the mall would be packed. When I began passing by this red Dodge Ram, I noticed that a handicap license plate or a disabled placard were nowhere in sight.

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So I have found a new tech obsession.

Twitter.com.

Twitter is a website that lets you follow friends and family by reading their posts, or “twits,” online. I often times find myself adding updates throughout the day from my phone. The site is very cool and user-friendly; not to mention very addicting!

Here’s my twitter page so you can stay up to date with me and my adventures!

http://twitter.com/gabetrujillo

Here’s the final part of my short film. Hope you enjoy it!

Here is part two of my short film.

Here is part one of a short film I made for my English Class during my senior year of high school. It’s basically about me and my experiences while I was in the hospital. Hope you enjoy it!

Check back later for parts two and three.

The view is awesome from my seats.

The Arizona Cardinals have their first home game of the ‘08 season this weekend. I’ll be there rooting them on in the North Endzone. Take down the Dolphins!

I hope Drew Rosenhaus is done putting bad mojo on Anquan Boldin.

Sometimes I catch myself reaching for things. I even occasionally try and get up and walk every now and then. But whenever I catch myself doing that, I remember what my life was like before I became sick. Images of long nights on the soccer field, playing football with my friends at the local park and slow dancing at junior high dances rush to the front of my mind. But as I look down at the wheelchair I’m sitting in, I know that part of my life is gone.

And just like the super heroes I read about in my comic books, I too am in a fierce battle with a formidable villain. But unlike my caped counterparts, my villain isn’t some horrible evil-doer.

My arch nemesis is frustration.

It can’t be beat with x-ray vision, super strength or super speed – although, it would be cool to be Professor X. No, it takes something more important than that. If you want to conquer frustration, all it takes is a little patience and perseverance.

You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to just shout, “I want my arms and legs back!” I am constantly reminded of all the things I am unable to do on my own and it makes me wish I wasn’t in a wheelchair. But I know that feeling sorry for myself and giving up isn’t going to help me walk again. So instead of being frustrated, I am fighting back.

Not with super powers, but with my own indomitable will. All it takes is a little persistence and resolve. All it takes for me to succeed is to try.

And for now, good has triumphed over this evil.

I often find myself wondering about my future. Where will I be in five years? Twenty years? Will I have a family of my own? Will I ever walk again?

Questions like that dart through my mind everyday, and I don’t seem to have the answers to them. As I deal with this unnerving uncertainty, I look towards the future with determination and courage. The future may be out of my hands, but I choose the path that will lead me to a life of success and happiness. I may be traveling that path with the help of an electric wheelchair, but it’s not going to keep me from my hopes and dreams.

I didn’t choose to be paralyzed from the neck down, but I did choose to not let the paralysis control my life.

If I can’t predict the future, I can hope for a good life.

If I can’t write, I will speak.

If I can’t walk, I will roll.

I don’t know what will happen in five years, or 20 years. I don’t know if I will have a family of my own. I don’t know if I will ever walk again.

But I do know that I am living the life I chose, and that’s fine with me.

This is my inaugural post of my blog. Here you will find posts about my life as a quadriplegic and the various experiences I’ve had since I became permanently confined to a wheelchair. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry. But all will be very entertaining. So kick back, and enjoy!