Reflections for 2016 & resolutions for 2017

The Purpose of this blog is to promote The Dyspraxia Foundation E book' "Dyspraxic Adults Surviving in a NonDyspraxic World" self help book for dyspraxic adults. All proceeds go to the Dyspraxia Foundation Adult support groups. Available on Amazon for £9.99

Reflections for 2016 & resolutions for 2017

Happy New Year everyone!

2016 has been a mixed year for me personally but not a disastrous one. I haven’t posted a blog since October when I came back from my 2^nd holiday that year in Pefkos. I was looking for work but I’m still not in paid work but have found plenty to keep me busy. I didn’t think I had anything worthwhile to share with you and although I’m not depressed I got into a procrastinating, apathetic rut. Both things can be caused both by unemployment and dyspraxia without structure.
 

Pefkos  June 2016

I started the year by having 2 part time jobs as well as being responsible for supporting my Mum who has dementia to stay in her own home. I then persuaded my Mum that she would be happier moving to an independence flat at Heathlands, a Jewish old peoples Village In Prestwich. Meanwhile the funding ended for both Jobs and I had to sign on. The only good thing about that was it gave me more time and was less stressful when I organised my Mums move for her than If was managing 2 jobs at the same time. I have dyspraxia and this can lead to organised chaos. But, I used to live in rented accommodation so I have moved home several times so I have developed organisational and coping strategies with moving house. So her move went relatively smoothly. My mum tells me she is really happy now. She is glad she doesn’t have to cook and clean her house anymore. The staff say she walks around with a big smile on her face. However, she is fed up at the moment because the Noro Virus hit Heathlands just before Christmas/Channukah and she has been asked to stay in her room and people are not encouraged to visit her because it has hit the unit where she lives. But this won’t last forever and there will be the usual entertainment and activities will resume soon to stimulate her and I will be able to visit her soon.

Mum & I in Bellinis

I have been elected Adult Adviser/ representative for the Dyspraxia Foundation and we had our first Skype Adult Advisory meeting early last month. My next post will be about how the panel and what we do.  We were struggling with funding and had a finding drive and We have reached our funding target of £20,000 to keep the charity running. Im getting lots of email queries recently which I assume is due to the Dyspraxia Helpline losing its funding, but it still exists on a smaller scale.

The posts with the most views have been my post about my first Pefkos holiday in early June with 1740 views. Second my post on becoming the Dyspraxia Foundation Adult Advisor with 1290 views. Although I got over a thousand views on why Dyspraxic Adults should join the DF. I obviously wasn’t persuasive enough as it had little impact on increasing their membership.  would like to thank everyone for viewing my blog

 Just before New Year after a break from moderating the Group Dyspraxic Adults Surviving in A Non Dyspraxic World which originally was emancipatory research for the ebook I was decided to come back as a moderator. This is more time consuming than being the Adult Advisor. I’m hoping to sort out a more consistent approach to responding to posts with the other moderators and I would like to thank them for all their hard work. Hopefully by the time I get another paid job I will be able to delegate them to run the group without me having to moderate.

For the past two years I have been struggling with blurred vision caused by Keratoconus and Cataracts and due to a shortage of eye surgeons I have had to wait over a year to have it sorted out. I now need a cataract operation, for both eyes. I’m  having my right eye done first on 24^th January and the left one done some time after that.

I have been out of work since August, It usually takes me about 3 months to find another job. I’m concerned that I’m into my 5^thmonth of unemployment and I’ve been summoned to my local job club to get help looking for work. I do hope its not like the Job club on the Leauge of Gentlemen. Here is a link about Pauline who is their Job Club adviser.

I could have been doing classroom assistant work at a SEN School but I’d need eyes in the back of my head but need my eyes sorting first I have applied for a job as Peer Mentor for a Disabled Peoples Led Organisation.  This job involves helping disabled people and people with long term health conditions to set up support groups face to face and on social media. I have plenty of experience in that so hopefully I will get short listed but I’ve been at job interviews before in community development jobs but not got the job but hopefully I will get this one.

       

So my new year resolutions are to:

·        Get a job so that can afford to go back to Pefkos or Lindos in Rhodes at least once this year.

• balance my work life both voluntary and future paid work with my leisure time more
• Continue doing my stand up
• Get repairs done on my house
• Write my blog at least once a month