Author: Linda Wright

Linda Wright, author of "My Turn: When Caregiving Roles Reverse," now lives in Florida. She has served on the boards of organizations serving people with rare, genetic bleeding disorders like hers. As a writer, she has contributed to several anthologies and is a member of the Tallahassee Writers Association. Linda is married to the Reverend Ms. Robin Gray.

Coping with Ovarian Cancer: A Personal Journey

~ Linda Wright

Yesterday I had a conversation with a woman who has ovarian cancer. She has gone through surgery, radiation, and at least two rounds of chemotherapy. She had just had another PET scan and she was eager to get the results. “I know my last blood work showed I have cancer markers,” she said without emotion, “but I don’t know whether the cancer will show on the scan yet.” One way or another we will die, it’s just a matter of time. The dying isn’t the hard part, it’s the staying alive that takes some endurance.

Day 17 (of 31 days of free writing)

Social Media Shapes Our News Realities

Parallel Universes
~ Linda Wright

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, there were only three broadcast networks on television and those three networks reported mostly the same news, altering only the order of the stories on any day. I know this because when I was in high school a friend and I decided to do a social studies project. One of us listened to the news each evening on ABC and the other listened to NBC or CBS. Each of us made notes on the items reported and when the news programs ended we talked on the phone and compared our lists. There were occasionally minor differences in the slant given to each piece, but mostly it was the same news given in a different order.


Now we seem to have a multiverse of choices for news, not just on television and radio, but via streaming on the Internet and social media. Most of my friends listen to the same sources for their news. Their social media sends them only the news they want to hear. They all have similar views on politics and believe they know what is true. Today as I was driving and listening to music on the radio I heard news that turned my sense of reality upside down. Perhaps there really is an alternate reality right here on this planet.

Day 16 (of 31 days of free writing)

The Meaning of Life Through Stories and Caregiving

To be continued
~ Linda Wright

In my lifetime I’ve had several identities. Born with a rare blood disorder I had a clear difference from all the other children I knew. It gained me a lot of attention and I took pride in educating others about my disorder. I had a role to play at a very young age and rules I needed to follow. I knew things other people, even adults, did not. I was also a student and a pretty good storyteller. What set me apart from other children was that I knew how to successfully live with blood that did not clot.
It wasn’t until I got my first job that I felt I had another persona. I was a librarian as well as a person with a rare bleeding disorder. I could now help others in both of these roles. Later in my life I was a care-giver for my parents. I didn’t think about my purpose in life until I was no longer employed, no longer a care-giver, and most amazingly no longer a person with a rare bleeding disorder. Even though most would consider that all great news, I felt some perplexity about who I was now.

It was then that I began to consider what makes life worth living. I believe most of us construct meaning with what we do, how we help others, and what stories we tell. Luckily there are still lots of things I can do, others to help, and stories to tell.

Day 15 (of 31 days of free writing)

A Lifetime of Change

~ Linda Wright

Looking back on my lifetime, I see vast differences from what I was like at age seven, seventeen, twenty-seven, and seventy. If you could see inside my clothes closet in 1959, 1979, 1999 and then 2019 you would notice that, not only did the styles differ, but the sizes as I gained then lost both height and weight. My concerns, my priorities, my self-confidence, my beliefs have modified as I have been influenced by other people. Literature, media, conversations have all transformed how I perceive the world and myself.

Sure there are some similarities between the me as a child and the me as a young adult and the me as an elder, but there are some notable differences and I expect there will be more to come before my life ends. Although some try to control the direction their life will take, change is both inevitable and unpredictable. So I do the best I can to stay flexible and adapt to change as it comes.

Day 14 (of 31 days of free writing)

Understanding Privilege: A Reflection on Abilities

~ Linda Wright

How much do any of us think about our abilities until we find ourselves unable. Is anyone truly appreciative of the kidneys we have until one or both of them fail and we need dialysis or a transplant in order to urinate? Are most people grateful for mashed potatoes until the doctor orders us to be on a liquid diet for a month? I believe that it is part of human nature to assume that everyone can walk easily, climb stairs, eat whatever they feel like, read printed words, until they cannot. I have struggled with resentment towards the people who seem blind to my disabilities. I grumble about people who seem inconsiderate or unaware that what is easy for most does not mean easy for all. Still I don’t want anyone to feel ashamed that they can do things I can’t. I don’t want sympathy. What I want is for people to think about asking what I need to be included.

To be honest, I can take many things for granted that others around me can’t. When I go into the grocery store, I am able to buy enough food to keep me from being malnourished and hungry. When I am driving my car and see a police car behind me, I am not afraid that I will be pulled over and aggressively interrogated and perhaps killed even though I have committed no crime. I don’t have to switch from the language that I use most fluently to the language of the person interviewing me for a job. I also don’t need to declare my gender since it matches my appearance.

Privilege comes in many forms. It can be a crippling disease if left untreated.

Day 13 (of 31 days of free writing)