Enjoying the Ride: The Blog

MITCH  STURGEON
Author and Blogger 

Living With MS

3i Housing of Maine
2019 MLA STICKER FINALIST

Nothing Happens for a Reason

Whenever I hear someone say, “Everything happens for a reason,” I usually blurt out, “Nothing happens for a reason!” Of course, the truth is somewhere in the middle, but I like the shock value of my reply. Granted, the tides do shift because of the relative positions of the earth and the moon. People sometimes… Continue reading Nothing Happens for a Reason

I am Profiled in “Everyday Health”

Everyday Health is a major online magazine. People such as Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Meredith Vieira are contributors. I wasn’t interviewed by either of them, but the magazine did have one of their fine staff writers, Jennifer Anderson, put together a short article about me. Check it out by clicking here.

Conveniently Incompetent

When I last updated you on my overhead lift system reimbursement from Anthem, I wrote: “My insurance company indicated they will reimburse all but $700 of the $12,000 product cost. I haven’t seen that check yet, and I won’t believe it until I do.” I was told by Anthem that all I had to do… Continue reading Conveniently Incompetent

Interacting with Wheelchair Users: A Memo

ali edwards My friend Andrew McLaughlin recently posted the following status on Facebook, after visiting our home town of Lincoln, Maine, during its homecoming celebration: “While having lunch at the Knights of Columbus BBQ after Saturday’s parade, with Kimberly, I noticed a Lincoln icon sitting alone, in his motorized wheelchair, at the end of a… Continue reading Interacting with Wheelchair Users: A Memo

The Eastern Sky at Sunset

For the second summer in a row (click here for last summer’s story), Kim and I spent a couple of nights at a lake in our hometown of Lincoln, Maine. My brother Andy’s mother-in-law, Joan, owns a lovely summer home on the lake known by locals as the Big Narrows. Although the shoreline is probably… Continue reading The Eastern Sky at Sunset

You Can Check out Any Time You Like…

“Does Mitch’s left hand not work anymore?” our friend Amy whispered to Kim as we left the restaurant last weekend in Bangor. “Why? Did he say something to you?” Kim responded. “No, but I noticed that he didn’t move it at all during dinner.” “Yeah, he can’t do much with that hand anymore.” “Are you… Continue reading You Can Check out Any Time You Like…

Some Improvements to This Website

I am very busy these days. It’s as if we are cramming an entire summer’s worth of activities into the first two weeks of July. So I’m putting together a post in about 10 minutes – please forgive me. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to highlight some improvements at EnjoyingtheRide.com: Pages Google’s Blogger, which… Continue reading Some Improvements to This Website

My Do’s and Don’ts

I don’t walk in the woods anymore, but I do sit by the ocean. I don’t sleep well at night, but I do take naps during the day. I don’t travel much, but people visit me often. I don’t work, but I remain relevant. I don’t walk, run, swim, or bike, but I still breathe,… Continue reading My Do’s and Don’ts

My New Sure Hands Overhead Lift System

My April 29 post said: “The Sure Hands lift system has the unique characteristic of allowing a disabled person to control the entire process. If I had one of these, I could transfer from bed to Invacare wheelchair to shower chair to iBot wheelchair to toilet, or any combination thereof –all by myself. How cool… Continue reading My New Sure Hands Overhead Lift System

Driverless Cars – Yes Please

I enjoy the thought exercise where I imagine how people 100 years in the future will regard our generation. I hope that they will be horrified by what MS patients had to endure, because the disease will have been eradicated for many years by then. I also hope they will be appalled by our mindless… Continue reading Driverless Cars – Yes Please