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A little while ago, I posted in . Today I'm going to talk about how they help me stay green.

First, a little note about lingo. Some people hate the terms caretakers or caregivers, because it assigns too much power to the caretakers, and makes them sound like noble heroes. I think the preferred term is personal assistant nowadays. However, I don't have any paid help. The person who helps me is my boyfriend. Personal assistant sounds a bit too stiff and official. Caretaker does assume that he takes on full responsibility for me, which certainly isn't true, but I haven't found a better word yet. Maybe helper? Any suggestions?

Anyway, I'm really glad to have PAs and/or helpers, because without them, I wouldn't be able to do a lot of environmental-friendly activities. There's no way I could lug a box of recyclables down to the curb for pick-up. I couldn't get my personal papers to a paper shredder by myself. Composting sure would be a bitch, having to go out in the cold and mucking around with soil, bending over and getting dizzy. I sure am glad the boyfriend does that!

On days when I have to stay in bed, boyfriend waters all the plants for me. Plants detoxify the air and promote healthier respiration, which is good for me, being on Enbrel, a drug which promotes respiratory infection. I must note that I am the primary plant caretaker, however. On laundry days, boyfriend hangs our clothes up to dry in the house, which saves energy and creates less pollution . Next winter I think we might be putting plastic sheets over our windows - our apartment is full of bay windows, so weather-proofing would definitely save energy and hold heat in.

It's been a while since I had a paid PA, so I have no idea if they'd help me with those sorts of things. My last PA certainly did, but she was a friend of mine that I happened to hire. I probably wouldn't hire a PA unless they agreed to help me with green activities as well as household chores. I am fortunate that I have a big strong partner who doesn't mind taking care of the environmental stuff. I want to live green, but damn, it isn't easy for people with physical disabilities, is it? Living green involves an awful lot of physicality, something that I've never really seen addressed by the environmental movement. Oh well, give 'em time. They're still young. In the meantime, I'll fall back on the advice of my Occupational Therapist: If it's too hard or too painful, delegate it!

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