OUCH!!

Today is a big day for me. Several weeks ago I was contacted by this guy named Vaughan who works for the BBC website OUCH. Firstly, wouldn't it be cool to have a name like "Vaughan". I love those kind of names. "Dave" is an OK name but it's hardly cool. When I first started writing, I was very unsure of myself and didn't want anyone to be able to attach my words to my name so I published under a pseudonym - I thought long and hard about it and came up with a name that I loved - then - but it's embarrassing now. Joe tried to point out that just the fact that my writing was published should have been encouragement enough for me to use my real name, but I would have none of it. Suffice it to say, I never came up with anything as cool as "Vaughan".

The reason Vaughan had written me was to asked if I'd join a team of bloggers to work on the OUCH blog. I almost fainted I was so thrilled. I mean I watch BBC box sets, I may live in the colonies but, my gosh, this is the BBC. I wrote back and said, without hesitation, 'yes'. I don't know much about Vaughan, except that he works for OUCH. Well, I can tell from his emails that he's a good writer, that he's got a great sense of humour, that he's patient with us new bloggers. He's sent me all sorts of stuff. I've got this line of computer type that if I upload to this blog there will be a cool button that will take people straight to the OUCH blog. I have no idea how to do this. I'm hoping that 'blog princess' my friend who got me into blogging will help me do that when we have tea this summer.

Anyways, I don't know if Vaughan has a disability. I'm guessing he does, it is a disability website. But then, does that matter. Once when booking a hotel room with Marriott the voice on the phone wasn't able to guarentee an accessible room so I was shunted over to their ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act - I think) desk. There someone talked to me about my needs, put me on hold, called the hotel I wanted and worked out the details and then came back to me and confirmed everything. Very cool service. I've been shunted over to them several times over the last few months and one guy was very friendly so I just asked, "So, working for the ADA desk, do you have a disability yourself."

Frosty.

"Why do you ask?" The tone was cold. I didn't know what to say. I guess I just wanted to know. In an odd way it mattered to me. I figure that people with disabilities have a tough enough time getting employment - that we'd be completely qualified for a job like working the ADA desk for a hotel chain. So I blathered on about just being curious, that he seemed to really get what the needs were ... yada yada ... I was sweating. I hadn't wanted to offend him. Well, he told me that in fact that he did not have a disability. But did assure me that there were those who worked in that capacity for Marriott that did.

OK, then.

So, I didn't ask Vaughan. I could have gone to the site I guess and tried to find out more about him but that seems stalkerish. I decided that I didn't really care. I care that he's got a great sense of humour and that he's been patient and encouraging with me. That's enough for now.

So, I've got to go over to OUCH now and write my first post. It's supposed to be an introductory 'all about me' kind of post.

So drop by. Sorry, I don't have the button up ... sorry, I don't know the url. But just Google these two words BBC OUCH and it should be right there.

See ya over in England!