It’s about time…
One of the most important lessons an FAer learns is that trying to do something fast often leads to an accident and that usually takes way longer to resolve.
FAers suffer more in an accident than non-FAers and recovery takes significantly longer. It’s why our mantra must be: first of all, avoid a fall.
If there’s one superpower FA should give us, it would be patience!
I once took part in a trial that involved a timed walk (two actually). The instruction on the first walk was to go at normal pace and the second was to go as fast as possible while remaining safe. To this day I’m proud that the researcher told me I’d gone the same speed both times.
So long as you’re honest and smart about it (and try to avoid delaying other people where possible), nobody should be annoyed if you take a reasonable time to do things, especially if you’re dealing with disability. On the contrary, it’s been my experience that people enjoy being part of a well-timed plan with a disabled person. It lets everyone demonstrate how accommodating they can be.
It’s rewarding to accomplish something in your own way, especially if that involves taking your time to complete it. (Frank Sinatra wasn’t disabled but recognised that sense of accomplishment can be so powerful it’s the theme of one of his most famous songs!)
For FAers this comes with responsibilities though. We must recognise, and make plans that reasonably allow for, the longer time it’ll take us to do things. Often that means starting earlier but frequently it can also mean finishing later than a non-FAer.
For example, being able to drive independently is fantastic but as FA progresses, it’s an ability most of us will lose. For many who live in Australia we’re fortunate that NDIS funding allows us a support worker who’ll drive us but we should insist never to go faster than the speed limit. It’s up to each of us to have an idea of where we’ll need to go and the traffic conditions we’re likely to encounter and plan around that.
What I referred to above as patience could just as well be described as resignation. Things take as long as they take and trying to rush them usually doesn’t save any time at all. In fact, experienced FAers know that not only is there no point in rushing, but it often works against you. Anyone who’s in a hurry is vulnerable and can be taken advantage of, from a simple magician’s trick to an expensive scam. Don’t rush and don’t let yourself be rushed.