Family Time with the TGA Maximo.

You wouldn’t peel a potato with your bare hands? or would you?

Its 2018 and there are so many technical advancements, none of which are essential to
life but all designed to make living easier and more enjoyable. We humans are have become very adept at making life easier, from stone tools to the the electric can opener through to the invention of the wheel and the car a huge part of living is adapting ones lifestyle and using what is available to us in order to get the most from life.

I was born with a rare muscle condition which effects my mobility and over the last few years its deteriorated to the point where many of the hobbies and interests have had to be put aside. Actually I’m not being truthful, its not just hobbies its life.

Life has been put on hold. I have missed days out at the park with my children, I've missed family days out to the sea side, we as a family haven’t been able to explore the local woodland, national trust or other location like we used to, because of my own pride.

I love being outside especially with my family but when my family have gone exploring I have sat it out,waited on a bench, in a cafe or back at the car because I just can’t do the walking and I don’t want to slow them down. I want to play on the park with my children, push my daughter on the swing and teach my son how to climb a tree, but just getting to the tree is painful.

My issues is clearly mobility, there are literally thousands of mobility aids on the market, Why aren’t you using one I can hear you scream! Well my stupid pride wouldn’t let me. “I’m not having a scooter” “I’m not getting on one of those” was a constant reply every time someone suggested a mobility scooter, lets be honest, they don’t exactly have a good reputation do they? Wrong! So so wrong in fact.

I bit the bullet and quite frankly can tell you. no one cares in fact every stare and glance I’ve had since being a scooter rider has been positive given with a smile and several comments of “thats cool!” One little boy even asked his dad “Why can’t we get one of those. Then one trip out while my children were on the park a little girl came over in her wheelchair she got up to play on the playground but first she walked over to me and said “I like your scooter, my mommy says when I’m a older I can have one too” This one little girl helped me see just now silly I had been.

I soon realised that I had wasted the last 4 years of my life, I hadn’t been there for my family in the way I wanted to be. They had missed out on the fun times with their dad. The fun days out are important, years now it will be those days they remember. They certainly wont remember the days I sat on a bench and waited for them to return from the park.

It was clear to me that if my pride is holding me back then there are others in exactly the same position, but there was literally nothing available to spur me on or point me in the right direction.

So I decided to blog and vlog about my journey with my TGA Maximo. The best thing about living now is there are literally scooters for everyone from full offload scooters that will cross a ploughed field to light and nimble scooters for shopping and drinks around town. I have one in-between a folding scooter with suspension but she it fits in my 4x4. It is exactly what I want for my lifestyle and interests. we’ve developed a bit of a bond too because of the freedom she has given me.

The best thing about being a scooter user is the freedom and spending my time doing the things I love. My longest journey to date is 7 miles. When was the last time you did 7 miles without the car? I’ve seen wild deer, played with my kids on many adventure playgrounds and spent over 4 hours touring an RAF Museum to name a few, I’m already planning my spring/summer adventures.

I have started to live life again and after all isn’t that what technical advancements are all about?

There is a reason someone invented the potato peeler and why there is one in every kitchen and If you have mobility issues theres a reason you should consider using a mobility scooter, try it! Go to a National Trust venue, many hire scooters for £5, have a day out and if you don’t enjoy yourself feel free to tell me.

Or if you read this and still aren’t convinced go to your kitchen now and throw away your potato peeler!