A Glimpse of My Writings
In 2019 Joni & Friends asked me to write a guest blog for the future Disability in Mission section of their blog page. The page for that topic went live the third week of July ‘20. My blog posted as the next week’s entry. You can read it at https://www.joniandfriends.org/bad-legs/
June 27, 2020
There he was again. Kermit. Do you remember a few weeks back the tree frog I found on the wall side of a roll of toilet paper when I rolled out a couple sheets? I caught him, opened the door and put him on the patio. Gone.
May 20, 2020
Have you ever lived where babies screamed in terror when they saw you because of your pale skin, unlike that of everyone they know? Obviously this baby didn't.
July 25, 2015
I have discovered that some people think that because I am retired and (according to the government) not “gainfully employed,” and because Im disabled with little strength and energy, I don’t do much.
More Posts
In 2019 Joni & Friends asked me to write a guest blog for the future Disability in Mission section of their blog page. The page for that topic went live the third week of July ‘20. My blog posted as the next week’s entry. You can read it at https://www.joniandfriends.org/bad-legs/
June 27, 2020
There he was again. Kermit. Do you remember a few weeks back the tree frog I found on the wall side of a roll of toilet paper when I rolled out a couple sheets? I caught him, opened the door and put him on the patio. Gone.
May 20, 2020
Have you ever lived where babies screamed in terror when they saw you because of your pale skin, unlike that of everyone they know? Obviously this baby didn't.
July 25, 2015
I have discovered that some people think that because I am retired and (according to the government) not “gainfully employed,” and because Im disabled with little strength and energy, I don’t do much.
July 12, 2015
At my age, my annual Senior Wellness check-up is an interesting event. After preliminaries, the nurse said, “I’m going to say a series of three words and ask you to remember them after I ask you a question.”
“Last year one of them was apple,” I offered.
June 28, 2015
This morning a local TV station aired a story about today’s Iron Man contest in Couer d’Alene, Idaho. One of the athletes is a blind soldier. He lost his sight to shrapnel from a car bomb blast in Iraq. For some weeks afterwards he felt angry, useless and hopeless. How that changed is another story, but it did, and he was about to run his first Iron Man. How?
June 22, 2015
My mission agency, World Team, has put the 22 minute video, “Bad Legs” on their YouTube channel. It’s a very short summary of God’s story in my life – a whole lot shorter than my memoir will be! The project was not my idea originally, but I’m glad that it was done. The video can go places and reach people I can’t.
June 16, 2020
Tomorrow the 22-minute video, “Bad Legs – Elinor Young, a Missionary Story” will be launched by my mission agency, World Team. Here’s the one-minute trailer.
June 14, 2015
41 and 1/2 years ago I got on an airplane in Spokane to begin my first ever journey to the place that became so dear to me, Irian Jaya (Papua), Indonesia. All I knew about the land and its people was what I had read, including that much was still undiscovered.
May 23, 2015
I wasn’t sure this radio still existed, but I found it among things stashed away from my childhood. My aunt gave it to me in 1952 during the seven months I was in the hospital recovering from polio.
May 5, 2015
One of the things I love to do the most is talk to the next generation. Usually that is in a college class setting. Whatever the venue of a presentation, it takes some days to get my body ready, and some days to recover, but I am SO grateful I’m able to!
June 21, 2008
I took a tumble off my patio this morning. Wasn’t paying attention to a common law of physics. I was weeding, which would not be remarkable, except that the weeds were by the patio and I was standing about seven inches above them. You gotta understand – because I don’t have any quadriceps, I can’t bend my knees very much, let alone squat. In fact, to stand I have to hyper-extend my knees some so my legs won’t collapse. No quads also means I can’t get up from the ground without crawling up on something. Now you get the picture…
March 23, 2008
I’ve been excited for days. Special friends were going to (and did!) join me for church this morning and for lunch afterwards. Not special because we see each other often. In fact, I haven’t seen them for years. Not since I left Papua 17 years ago, except for Barb. The guys of both couples were pilots who flew other missionaries like me across the vast swamps and over the dangerous mountains. There were not many of us non-indigenous folk and we needed each other. Pilots depended on accurate weather reports from us on the ground. More than one died due to bad weather conditions in the mountains. We depended on them to get us safely in and out of the little outposts where we worked.
February 11, 2008
I have a 23-pound, three-way mixed mutt. Gulliver is Jack Russel terrier, Whippet and Sheltie. His high vigor loves to run, jump, chase and pull. Gulliver must be exercised daily for the sanity of us both. Most of the year we take two walks a day; Gulliver on his feet and I on my scooter to which Gulliver is attached by a retractable leash. Usually he is at the far extent of it, pulling to make us go faster.
January 20, 2008
I didn’t make it to church today, but it wasn’t for not trying. Last night we got fresh dry snow on top of the previous crusty snow. No big deal except that with the new snow came high winds. I didn’t realize that the snow was drifted too high for my Honda until I turned the corner to head down my driveway and got stuck. We native Spokanites know all the tricks for snow driving, but none of them worked. I couldn’t get unstuck. I had to abandon the car and walk back to the house, which wasn’t very far I suppose. Unless you are a crutch and full-leg brace user and the snow is ten inches deep at best with ice underneath. And you don’t have boots. And are wearing a dress.
January 20, 2008
I didn’t make it to church today, but it wasn’t for not trying. Last night we got fresh dry snow on top of the previous crusty snow. No big deal except that with the new snow came high winds. I didn’t realize that the snow was drifted too high for my Honda until I turned the corner to head down my driveway and got stuck. We native Spokanites know all the tricks for snow driving, but none of them worked. I couldn’t get unstuck. I had to abandon the car and walk back to the house, which wasn’t very far I suppose. Unless you are a crutch and full-leg brace user and the snow is ten inches deep at best with ice underneath. And you don’t have boots. And are wearing a dress.
January 13, 2008
I have long resisted entering the Blog World, but finally here I am. I don’t see much use to the “stream of consciousness” stuff, but I do think I have some helpful things to offer the world out there. For one thing, I have had unique experiences in two arenas. What I have learned from those may be helpful to someone.
Stories
May 2002
I don't know that Grandma had anything profound in mind when she gave me the piggybank. I was plus or minus ten years old. It was just a cute gift for her name-sake grandchild—and maybe a subconscious reminder of financial responsibility from this survivor of the Great Depression. On the other hand, maybe Grandma did have something deeper in mind. Boldly painted on the side of the piggy-bank is "For My Trip to Europe." Did Grandma pay special attention to those words, or was she just attracted to the cute pig? A mere four inches long, realistically it couldn't hold much money for such a trip.
May 1999
Are you familiar with Belgian horses? I don’t mean are you a first-name friend of one. I mean, do you know how BIG those animals are? No, they’re not the size of Clydesdales, the draft horses in the TV commercials. Belgians are bigger - but calmer. They are the gentle giants of the horse world. Last year I got acquainted with one.
More Stories
May 2002
I don't know that Grandma had anything profound in mind when she gave me the piggybank. I was plus or minus ten years old. It was just a cute gift for her name-sake grandchild—and maybe a subconscious reminder of financial responsibility from this survivor of the Great Depression. On the other hand, maybe Grandma did have something deeper in mind. Boldly painted on the side of the piggy-bank is "For My Trip to Europe." Did Grandma pay special attention to those words, or was she just attracted to the cute pig? A mere four inches long, realistically it couldn't hold much money for such a trip.
May 1999
Are you familiar with Belgian horses? I don’t mean are you a first-name friend of one. I mean, do you know how BIG those animals are? No, they’re not the size of Clydesdales, the draft horses in the TV commercials. Belgians are bigger - but calmer. They are the gentle giants of the horse world. Last year I got acquainted with one.
