DENIED!!


OK - this day was a real treat. I woke up at 4....again....because of the baby....and I had left my car at school so I had to ride in.... and it was misting a bit. So I got Adia back to sleep and got ready to go to school.... which I was really excited about because I had signed up for bus driver training for the next 3 days. Just for field trips and stuff and because I have some desire deep down to say "yeah, I got my CDL". Anyhoo - I am getting the final things ready to ride to school and I can't find my cold weather gloves. Hmm. No biggie - I'll just double up. I go to grab my helmet and shoes and it hits me.... I left all my stuff in my car...at school. So I debate for a moment whether I should wake up Ash and have her take me - but I decide against that for the simple reason that it will take too long and I am still not done getting sub plans ready. So I try on Ashley's helmet - doesn't come close to fitting my rather bulbous melon. I look around and end up with my kayak helmet on...and my running shoes. Off I go.
Besides looking like a dork, let me tell you that long, steep hills with running shoes on those tiny pedals will really give a good burn to your calves. It was rather surprising the loss of power that comes from soft shoes.... or was that a loss of dignity?
So I get to school and I work like mad finishing up my sub plans and even end up late to the training - I did call first, but it was still a bit embarrassing. So we're being told how to fill out forms for an hour and near the end there is some medical info.
Oh yeah, this is where it gets good.
There were all kinds of questions like high blood pressure (which the instructor had - he said no big deal), dizziness and fainting (one person used to have real problems with this but that was a whole year ago...no big deal), DUI/DWI (as long as you don't have 2 in the same year...no problem, mon!), and then there was diabetes.
That was a big deal. The conversation went something like this:
"you mean that if you are a diabetic, you can't drive a bus?"
"Do you take insulin?"
"Yes"
"Then the answer is no... you can leave now."
And I left. Kind of dazed. I mean I can understand the idea behind the rule, but I am a whole lot more capable and able to drive a bus safely than many I see on the road - I thought to myself "I'm training for a freaking Ironman and I can't drive a bus!!!" For the first time in my life I was denied being able to do something just because I was a diabetic. It was surprisingly profound to me.
There are some bright spots - I got a free day off of work... they said that the sub was already paid for and this wasn't my fault (I thought "damn right its not my fault... I'm Type 1!".... sorry, that was a bit rude to type 2ers). So I was in the office calling Ashley telling her what was going on and after I got off the phone the nurse came up to me and said..."are you Steve?"
She is the other main person trying to put together the Diabetes Awareness month and Diabetes Walk for our school district to possibly raise money for Triabetes. She recognized me from the video. So that was good to make that connection at that very instant.... as I was denied because of diabetes.
I will take on a new nickname now. I will be known as "Pigeon" If you have no idea why - read some Mo Willems children's books.

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