Thursday, November 29, 2012

You want to help? Get out of [IN] the way.

  I know I've beaten this phrase to death; but the memory of it stands out so clear.  My Dad had the Volvo up on jacks, in the garage, during one of our Minnesota winters.  He had his wood-burning stove going too; and I don't remember what he was doing to that little white Volvo station wagon in which I smooched Joan and Vicki for the first time.  Anyway, I was out there wanting to learn something and Dad in his wisdom knew that I was more interested in the carburetors than the laws of gravity and the jacks holding the thing up.  After all, he was a construction superintendent; the guy knew hazards and how easily neophytes can find them.  So he uttered his 'famous' phrase: you want to help?  Get out of the way.
    Where I was going with this was to say that sometimes getting out of the way isn't the best thing to do.   Anne Wittig, QCS, conductor extraordinaire is still here!  The Vancouver area is one of the most insulting housing markets on Earth, and I had many quiet fears that Anne would be here for one year, and then say, Winnipeg ain't so bad compared to this! Surely, Manitoba has perhaps a few less mountains; but at least one can buy a house there.  Out here?  Ach, don't get me started.  My point was that conductive education is not an easy career.  The only way I could see to really help Anne & Chris settle in here was to say, "Welcome to B.C.  Start your own business.  I know some people who would like your services."  That's really all I had for her.  Since then, she has found many more people who like her services; but they're spread around.  Still it's just simply fantastic to me now that there is a conductive education service running out here;  but (you knew there was a "but" - stop acting surprised) how much can one conductor do?  I mean, yes, she owns a car and stuff; and families are calling her lots.  Her schedule is full; but still she spends almost half her working time DRIVING.  Goodness, she's not a cab driver!  And you should see the baskets full of toys and stuff she's been carting along.  Finally, she got a hockey bag for her toys; and now she is a truly Canadian conductor.
     Nonetheless, it's not ideal for a conductor to be so itinerant.  It is also a fact that kids with motor disorders do not all live in the same neighbourhood and go to the same school.  We have to find them where they are and get the conductor to them. I should talk!  I'm not even doing it; Anne is!  There must surely be something we can do though, us parents, us people who need to see conductive education on a more daily basis; more in the main stream; more accessible.  What is it that needs to happen?  Maybe it's time for people to get IN THE WAY.  Nobody knows more than you parents about how this should happen.  Anne can't do this all on her own; and we need to get more conductors out here.  Any ideas?