last picture

My sister Jennie Rakestraw took this picture the last day dad was up. Who knew. The photo was taken at their new house on Henrietta Place on Friday, June 8, 1990. See, even amid illness he took a good picture.

I remember when dad got his first electric wheelchair. When that lift lowered from the van, dad landed like a Marine. He'd tilt the toggle full speed ahead and leave mom and me in his electric wheelchair dust. Image all those years of relying on someone else to get you around at their speed. That chair meant a whole new freedom. Dad went where he wanted to go and at the speed that he wanted to do it.

Back in the day, wheelchairs where few and far between. You just didn't see many of them around. When shopping at Mason's or Kmart, you'd always get curious looks from strangers. A guy in a wheelchair was like an alien presence in the room. Now a days, every one seems to want a power-chair. It's amazing to see all those handicapped parking spaces in parking lots - and all of them filled. I don't think there are that many disabled people out there. I think people have gotten lazy and don't want to walk anymore. It would probably be healthier if most of them rose from their powered-chair and walk.