I haven't written as many blog posts as I have become accustomed to recently. Over the past couple of weeks or so, so that my September total was quite small, and my October output almost Zero.
This isn't anything to do with me having run out of steam, or lacking ideas. If anything, I have paused quite consciously so that I can observe the rate at which my blog has continued to be read in spite on my lack of regularity in creating new posts.
Interestingly, this month has been an important month for me from the point of view of the way in which my care is funded.
Some of you may have read about the way in which I benefit from something called Self-Directed Support (SDS), something relatively new in the world of providing independence to people with disabilities in Britain.
Instead of having a contracted agency paid for by the local County Council, I am paid directly an assessed amount based upon the strict criteria applied by the Council and according to my needs.
In return, I provide regular reports as to the way in which I have spent the allocated monies, which is principally on the salaries of the half a dozen staff that support me with personal care, providing my meals, and more recently a programme of physiotherapy to maintain the capacities I currently have.
This week, I have had my annual review, in which an officer from the County Council has visited to see how I have been managing on this new scheme, and to see how if at all my condition, multiple sclerosis, has changed, and perhaps affected the way in which I have been managing my care.
It's not that this review has taken up a great deal of time, in fact it was much less stressful than such an annual review might be considered to be, especially in such straightened financial times that we live in in the United Kingdom.
Of far more interest than simply my adherence to the schemes’ requirements and the possibilities of savings, were the outcomes of my participation in SDS. I was able to talk about the sort of things that I have been doing as a consequence of the support my care package has provided, and this has taken into account not only the practical satisfaction of my daily needs such as dressing and washing, but also my social self, my ability to take part in those things that are so much taken for granted when we are able to live independently almost without thinking.
My assessor was very interested in some of the things that I undertake, not least of all my blog, and interestingly there was a significant spike in the number of page views just the day after my assessor's visit which I can only assume has been because she has actually had a look at some of my blog posts, and in fact passed on the details of my blog to some of her colleagues, because of the way in which some of my blog posts have received several hits over the course of a couple of days.
This is very gratifying, and added to the fact that I have just passed the important milestone of my 1000th page view, has perhaps contributed to my taking a moment to reflect on what I might do next.
I think it's important sometimes to take time over these reflections, and my first thoughts have been to look at ways in which I can more effectively promote my blog, and perhaps specifically in order to promote the sales of my special edition of my first book of poetry, all proceeds from the sales of which will be entirely for the benefit of the Hospital Home for Soldiers just across the road from where I live in Worthing.
I have written about this important institution in several of my blogs, and from my 70 blogs, my absolute favorite has been my blog post entitled Diaghilev and Lady Ripon.
I will of course be continuing to write my posts, and I am even contemplating putting together all of them as if they were the chapters in a book, just to see how effectively it might work as perhaps an electronic book. Into the modern age I might venture, with perhaps a Kindle publication, aimed at further supporting the hospital that I have already mentioned.
I continue to write occasional articles for the magazine Care Talk, and this gives me great pleasure and satisfaction. It was always an ambition of mine to write perhaps in some national context, and the fact that it has taken my disability to give me my material is simply background. Nothing to feel saddened by, no more than anything might affect the flow of one's life.
And so a period of reflection, perhaps natural when I have just celebrated my own birthday, and yesterday my mother celebrated her 93rd birthday. More reflection perhaps.
Whatever the outcome of my navel gazing, I will come refreshed to my task, and hopefully witha new vigour and purpose.
As the ancient philosopher Heraclitus once wrote, a human life is like a river, constantly flowing, perhaps varying in width according to the season, and we lead our lives as if we are dipping our feet into this constantly flowing stream.
Perhaps it's about time I started swimming, not necessarily against the stream, but simply because I can still swim.
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