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I was meaning to write a more personal post for International ME/CFS Awareness Week about what it's like having ME, but I find that I really don't want to, it's too depressing. So here's a list of some of the lovely things about my life, some of which probably wouldn't have happened if I hadn't developed ME.
I lost music, but I found the visual arts, namely quilting. I was always so busy doing music at school that I never realised that I'm a visual thinker, let alone explored the visual arts (though I remember adoring pottery when I was eleven). I'm thoroughly enjoying quilting and I turn out to be rather good at it. It feels like a new world opening up for me.
Having to approach things in different ways can open up fascinating new perspectives. My eyes are usually too weak to read books these days, so I subscribe to the excellent audiobook service provided by the RNIB. Hearing books read aloud, and they're almost always read aloud very well indeed, provides a completely different experience to reading them on the page, plus it combines well with quilting. I notice things I'd never noticed before when reading the books, such as that startling bit in Jane Eyre where Rochester reveals that he's been wearing a string of pearls under his clothes ever since Jane left him!
I've met some wonderful people online and learnt about subjects ranging from the proper care of long hair to the weird and wonderful stuff about gender in Richard II, not to mention getting hooked on a variety of silly TV shows recommended by my friends.
Eighteenth century flame wars! (Read the next two pages too, and give me a shout if you need context.)
And most importantly, three years ago today I wandered into a bookshop and struck up a conversation with the young man working there. Next thing you know, we were sharing apples (he doesn't like the cores so I eat them) and were each plotting to murder the other for their books. We've been living together since autumn 2007 and I can't think of a lovelier person to be with.
I lost music, but I found the visual arts, namely quilting. I was always so busy doing music at school that I never realised that I'm a visual thinker, let alone explored the visual arts (though I remember adoring pottery when I was eleven). I'm thoroughly enjoying quilting and I turn out to be rather good at it. It feels like a new world opening up for me.
Having to approach things in different ways can open up fascinating new perspectives. My eyes are usually too weak to read books these days, so I subscribe to the excellent audiobook service provided by the RNIB. Hearing books read aloud, and they're almost always read aloud very well indeed, provides a completely different experience to reading them on the page, plus it combines well with quilting. I notice things I'd never noticed before when reading the books, such as that startling bit in Jane Eyre where Rochester reveals that he's been wearing a string of pearls under his clothes ever since Jane left him!
I've met some wonderful people online and learnt about subjects ranging from the proper care of long hair to the weird and wonderful stuff about gender in Richard II, not to mention getting hooked on a variety of silly TV shows recommended by my friends.
Eighteenth century flame wars! (Read the next two pages too, and give me a shout if you need context.)
And most importantly, three years ago today I wandered into a bookshop and struck up a conversation with the young man working there. Next thing you know, we were sharing apples (he doesn't like the cores so I eat them) and were each plotting to murder the other for their books. We've been living together since autumn 2007 and I can't think of a lovelier person to be with.
