All Things Work Together for Our Good

My disability allows me to do very little for myself. I could literally sit in a kitchen and starve to death because I have no way to eat on my own. So when I graduated from high school, my main focus became to get a job. I wanted a way to earn money for myself, to feel like I had some kind of responsibility, instead of just doing whatever I felt like. Sadly that didn't happen nearly as quickly as I would have liked. I participated in a state program called Vocational Rehabilitation. The people were helpful, but the red tape that is part of most state agencies could get so frustrating.

There weren't many career options available to me due to the extent of my disability, so we decided to pursue data entry, thinking that would be the easiest job for me without going to college first. I found my first job through a friend at church. He wanted to have some data about his restaurant put into the computer. The job took a couple of months, but after that it was completed.

Shortly after finishing that job, Vocational Rehabilitation told me about a program at the Warm Springs Institute to help disabled people learn more about computers. I decided to try to get into this program. There were many hurdles to pass through, and I did the best I could. But in the end, they decided I was too disabled to be part of the program. That was frustrating and disappointing, but I knew something would turn up.

I don't remember how long it was after this that Goodwill Industries hired me to do data entry. Goodwill was a job I went to instead of just doing my work from home. Probably the best part of that job was getting to know some of the other people working there.

I have come home now and am running my own writing and editing business. Running this business usually keeps me pretty busy, and has allowed me to meet a lot of other authors. I am not making much money yet, but I do enjoy what I do.