Tuesday, October 23, 2007

HBTJ

Right now Joe is watching the television programme, "Two and a Half Men" and laughing himself silly. Joe laughs at everything. All of our friends say that Joe makes them feel funny because even the lamest joke gets him going. And it's real. After travelling with me and listening to me lecture for several years, he still sits in the back of the room at the book table laughing at stories he's heard a thousand times.

He's a really good audience.

We've just driven for over six hours to get to the hotel. I still have my driver's licence but I very seldom drive anymore. OK. I don't drive anymore. So while I map the trip and get us where we are going, Joe's got to be the one to get us there. I'd like to spell him off every now and then but we both know that the travel is really up to him now.

He's a really good driver.

Right now I'm in my wheelchair typing this blog. Since I've become disabled, Joe has had to haul the chair in and out of the car and get me from place to place. He does this without any complaint and doesn't make me feel bad about the extra work. Over the years we've supported each other to greater and lesser degrees - right now, he's got the lion's share of the physical work.

He's a really good sport.

Part of me worried when I became disabled that the nature of our relationship would fundamentally shift and that Joe's new role in assisting me would do some damage to the rest of our relationship. I, thankfully, worried needlessly. So, you are wondering why is this post strictly about Joe?

He's a year older today.

Happy Birthday Joe.

15 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday to Joe!
    You are a great guy...for instance, I don't think that I know of anyone else who'd risk detention by mall security in order to test a young mans skills at repelling predators! (Except Dave, of course!) Here's to another year of laughter and loving!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your "tribute to Joe" is a thousand times better, more personal, original, and going straight to the heart than Belgian chocolates, a bunch of flowers or anything!
    Mieke from Belgium.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy Birthday to you, Joe
    May you have many more!!!

    From Jo (without the e)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Birthday Joe!!! I hope you have a wonderful joy filled day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awww! Happy birthday Joe!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Maybe time to get Joe a practical birthday present ? If you have them over there ... wheelchair winches or lifts, into a wheelchair adapted vehicle.

    I have a rear ramp to my VW Caddy Life and seated in my electric wheelchair, I whizz up the ramp and into the chair parking space inside (seats removed). The company that did the conversion also provide for wheelchair using passengers whereby the wheelchair pusher clips seatbelt type inertia reel straps to the wheelchair frame, presses a button on the remote and hey presto ! wheelchair and user are smoothly hauled up the ramp and into position. I don't know where you would find such a vehicle over there, but there must be a solution.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy, Happy Birthday Joe!!! You've got a whole group of admirers here.

    Hope your day is fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes Happy Birthday Joe!
    Love Casdok x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy Birthday Joe!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to Joe! Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!!

    KD

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy Birthday to you Joe, and many happy returns!

    Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  12. Happy Birthday Joe!!!
    May you receive back all that you give.....you make this world a better place to be.

    ReplyDelete
  13. God bless your birthday, quiet one. Still waters run deep... and some run very deep.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy Birthday Joe - not a day over 30 I'm sure, and how do you do all that you do - you are truly the best!
    Hope you had a fabulous day!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Belated Happy Birthday Joe! God bless you richly.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment. Disagreement with the blog post and heated debate about issues raised are welcome. However, comments which personally attack or bully another or comments which are not relevant to the blog post or the blog theme may be removed.