Pondering

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

I’ve been pondering several ideas for this next edition of “More Than Normal” but haven’t quite settled on anything. Reason being is that some of them are stories I am pitching to publications so I can get paid. The stuff I write about here feels important, at least to me, so I vow never to put it behind a paywall. That being said, I am considering adding a “buy me a whatever button” to my account so you can help support my work if you feel so inclined.

Anyway, so here are some of the stories I am contemplating at the moment:

• Did you know that the U.S. Department of Transportation is in the commenting phase of new rules regarding wheelchairs and air travel? It is designed to address the all-too-often indignities wheelchair users suffer at the hands of aviation employees AND to assist them (financially and otherwise) when their wheelchairs are damaged. The comment period is open until May 13, 2024.

• Cece Bell, the fabulous author/illustrator of many children’s books including “El Deafo,” a graphic novel about her experience growing up deaf, is about to become a music producer. Yes, you heard that right — she is producing an album of songs and music videos to accompany the release of her new book “Animal Albums from A to Z” which is out this week.

• If you have dyslexia, you might want to check out Open Dyslexic font which is available for free to use on multiple devices. I want to dive into the science behind it and maybe speak with its designer.

• I’m also resurrecting a reported essay pitch about how I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder when perimenopause exacerbated its effects and left me a hot mess (pun intended).

There are so many more. As I said in my “open letter to potential agents,” I am never short of ideas. It’s a matter of determining the right publications to send them to, finding appropriate editors and their email addresses (not as simple as it sounds) and writing the perfect pitch to woo those editors. Need I say, freelance journalism is not for the faint of heart.

I’m moving forward with at least one or two of these ideas this week and when (not if) they are published, I’ll let you know here. Are there other disability stories you’d like me to research? I’m always open to suggestions. Please, pop your ideas in the chat. I’d be interested to hear about what I might be missing.

Thanks for reading and, as always, be kind to everyone including (and maybe especially) yourselves. Hugs.