So here we are, Megan and I have been in our MV-1 for only a week, and we are already tearing up the road and blazing trails.
While the excitement of receiving this wonderful vehicle has been far beyond words and shifts within my personal independence and the dynamic within our relationship have already been apparent, what has struck us the most is the reception of the vehicle by others.
As we have driven around town and beyond, we find that quite often those in other cars next to us glance over in surprise and curiosity at what exactly this hybrid SUV/British taxi/car/van is. Like much of the way we choose to live our lives, it is hard to put words to decisions and paths that are new and often undefined.
The MV-1, for us, is no different. There is a level at which while this intangibility perplexes everyone, including us at times. Yet, there is little that we can say to explain why we were given the urge to move in a certain direction, except that it simply feels like where we are being lead.
Barton Cutter enjoys the North Carolina Coastline.
Did you know that Interstate 40, which runs from Wilmington, NC to Barstow, CA spans 2,555 miles, running completely from the East coast of our continent through the center of our country to the Western shore?
I wonder what would have happened if after the formation of the original United States if the new settlers and frontiersmen had never dared to explore what was further west, and instead, simply accepting the tried and true method of what had been before. Certainly, the US would have never expanded all the way to encompass the full 2,555 miles, and I even find it hard to speculate that the country itself would have ever been founded.
A friend of mine who recently congratulated us on the van commented that he had watched the evolution of the MV-1 over the past several years and was curious about its capacities and how they might benefit him and his family. He went on to mention that he would rely on our experience to serve as solid proof of its success.
There is so much that is lost when people are willing to sacrifice innovation for what appears to be safe. And yet, at the same time, I completely recognize how terrifying that first step can be, particularly for those who rarely venture beyond their comfort zone.
This approach seems to be difficult for many people no matter who you are, and yet, it seems particularly difficult for many families and individuals impacted by disability.
For whatever reason, whether through cultural training or by necessity, there seems to be a keen necessity among many of us with disabilities to focus on what are perceived as tried and true methods, showing limited interest in anything that has little to no proven track record. Unfortunately, in my experience as a life coach and mentor, this reluctance to explore beyond what has been proven has, from my perspective, become a major barrier to innovation among many in our community.
Fortunately, however, I was not built this way.
It seems at every turn, I have bucked the system, turning sharply away from the tried and true methods of others to forge my own path.
Our first 5K Race, the Run for Young in downtown Raleigh.
Along the way, Megan has joined me in that journey and as she has learned to trust this intuitive approach, has drawn to me in that excitement that life can offer when you’re facing the unknown.
We push the boundaries of innovation when the newness of an experience is too overwhelming for others, and we often expect that they will eventually wake from relying on us or one experience to look within themselves and discover their own avenue for freedom and innovation.