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Going back in time, on the morning of 9-13-1992, I was a business manager and college student in Springfield, Missouri. That evening I was comatose from a freeway accident where I flew 80 feet and landed on my head. When I awoke from coma and spoke 5 weeks later, I was an unemployed dropout, my plans for pursuing a Ph.D. in astronomy as scrambled as my brains. My left side paralyzed from right brain hemmorrhages, I didn't propel my wheelchair properly (backwards with my right foot).
My short-term memory was good for maybe 2 minutes when I was released from the hospital 12-18-92. I needed constant supervision. But with a lot of "work" playing games to improve my memory, in 1995 I began living by myself.
I've collected disability and walked with a quad cane since February, 1993, with some time in a wheelchair after I fell and broke my leg. By playing video games and watching TV (learning to follow the plots on sitcoms and sci-fi) my memory is much improved compared to my post-coma near idiocy!
I spent most of my time with the TV--cable, VCR, video games and the Internet on Web TV. I made several homepages--just for something to do. I took time out from my "busy schedule" to have this picture taken on 1-15-97.
In December, 1997, I thought to contact a physics professor who had visited me in the hospital 5 years before, to let him know I was fine. He's now the Dean of Physics at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield! He saw my homepages and showed them to another of my old physics teachers, Dr. Lawrence E. Banks, who is now the Dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences there.
Turns out that the college was looking for someone to maintain their Science, Math and Technology site. He E-mailed me the job offer and I eagerly accepted the position. My K-8 certification, minor in math and near-completion of a physics degree fit right in with their needs.
In September, '98 I got a 2nd job with Goals 2000. I made the whole site from scratch! Don't know what it is? Check it out!
I had to get a computer for the jobs because Web TV, alas, is not a computer. Ken McRory is the computer consultant for SMSU. He set me up with my computer and guided me through its use. I made this special homepage to sum things up. "The Start of it All" started it all (named pre-'98) and consisted of about 20 linked pages, which are mostly gone now, since they were on about 20 different sites which have mostly disappeared.
Goals 2000 moved to SMT in October, 2001, so I have fewer sites with less pay. So--what is this--"waa waa waa," poor, disabled me going broke? I don't think so! Since I sit at the computer about 15 hours a day working and playing, I decided to make my "free" time pay! A "Meals on Wheels" volunteer that I spend Thanksgivings with told me about Affiliate programs where you get paid whenever the links from your site generate sales.
No, none of the links on this page do that. It wouldn't be right to do that from the good disability information sites I'm linked from.
But if you, kind reader, would bookmark The Purple Desk for the next time you find yourself shopping on the Internet, I'd sure appreciate it. So would my cat, Murphy , so I can get her "Pounce" treats. I started The Purple Desk in August, 2001.
Remember, when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. But the tougher are the ones keeping shop!
My thoughts and best wishes go out to all those that were in any way adversely affected by the dastardly events of 9-11.
This site will have visitors from Accomplishments and Achievements of the Disabled Community, where my Personal Story is written under "Personal Stories." There will also be visits from Disability Studies where this page is linked from their "Ability" pages. And on 9-14-98, I received notice that I have been added to "live And Beautiful! Our Passion To Live" with links to many homepages of people with various disabilities.
Yup, before I had work to do, I kept busy browsing the net and writing wherever I found a blank space!
Thank you!
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