I have amazed myself these past few days. I have been dealing with these illnesses and challenges for several years. They continue, it seems, to spiral and multiply. I am always left with a feeling of "What else?" and "How am I going to manage this one?"
Moving back from the city my husband and I went to college in was the best decision we could make. So many more answers have surfaced through small town doctors. The slow paced lifestyle decreases daily stress. The cost of living is definitely much more affordable which is crucial for a family dealing with long term medical needs. The only downfall is a lack of resources, especially when it comes to food options.
I have played with the idea of trying to find a way to make purchasing food more affordable and convenient in a place with very little resources. I have several different specialty doctors that I see about every 90 days, so I usually take the opportunity of traveling to their larger cities to purchase what I need. Although we have a local health food store, prices are high and options are limited. Since starting this blog, I have spent much more time on the computer and, with the help of some tech savvy family members, I am learning how to navigate technology a little better.
Let's be honest. I grew up in a generation where computers were brought into the home for personal use. The world wide web was introduced and online media and communications have exploded. My love for the outdoors, sports, and anything active has steered me away from the computer (or any technology for that matter). I suppose that is more of an excuse. It is probably more a matter of my own unwillingness to join the crowd. Either way, I am easing into it and obviously getting sucked in.
After months, if not years, of talking with friends and family about finding better options I came up with a plan several months ago to try to recruit businesses to come to our area. The idea stayed in my head all this time. Today, with the motivation of a dear family friend who also suffers from Celiac disease and lives in south east New Mexico not too far from myself, I decided to take the bull by the horns. I logged onto my favorite two health food stores sights (Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's). Conveniently enough, they have "location request" tabs on their sites. I took complete advantage of those as well as sharing the idea through social media to generate a larger response. I also went to our city's website and submitted a "citizen's request for improvement". Who knew they had all these wonderful opportunities to speak your mind?
Granted, I imagine these may go unnoticed for some time. I am hoping that my local community will jump on my bandwagon to pressure these companies to explore our area. On another surprising note, the city contacted me within hours of my request. With a few questions and some suggestions, we ended with the decision that this idea would be taken to board members and city developers to see what can be done. Again, I realize this may never go anywhere, but I am pleasantly surprised by the quick response. People actually do care out there.
No matter how bitter the world seems these days, people are still humans and ultimately want to make life better for themselves. In doing that, we might just make the world a better place for our neighbor as well.
I am proud of myself for actually stepping out of my own comfort zone. I started a blog and began sharing some very intimate details of my life with the world hoping to find a connection and better lives. I have learned so much in the past few days about marketing, research, communication, as well as my own diseases......and technology too, I guess. Now, I have finally taken control of something that has had control of me for so long. I feel empowered and more motivated everyday. I am meeting new people everyday that are teaching me things about myself I never thought possible. I pray this journey continues because it is becoming a lifesaver.
Thank you God, all of my supportive friends and family, and the strangers enlightening me everyday. Everyone of you is making a difference.
No comments:
Post a Comment