The Active Amputee Needed A Break…
…but is now back in full swing, bursting with new ideas, new energy and exciting new cooperations.
Feeling Overwhelmed By It All
Many of you have noticed that I have been quiet for some time. Since the sponsored climb in mid-January and the spring special on amputee parenthood the blog seemed dormant. There were hardly any new articles on The Active Amputee and for many my social media channels felt like empty shells.
The truth is simple: I needed a break. As you know I run this page as a pet project in my spare time. It may not sound like much. But publishing two new articles every week is already a demanding task in normal times. And it’s even more demanding when additional events are planned, when new ideas ask for my attention and when a potentially interesting story deserves a bit of extra time before it goes up on my blog.
Preparing for and then actually doing the 888m sponsored climb in mid-January was a lot of extra work. Well worth it and in many ways extremely rewarding, but countless extra hours non-the-less. Combined with the mini-series on amputee parenthood for the spring special just before I was about to leave for a business trip to East Africa meant sleep was down to only a few hours per night and weekends were earmarked to finish various pieces of work, reach out to other amputees, meet deadlines, sort out travel logistics and just get things done. Very exciting weeks, intense weeks, but in many ways also very draining weeks.
Taking The time Off To Get Back Into The Right Mindset
So when I came back from East Africa I needed time. Time to finish my work. But even more so time to allow a recovery. The Active Amputee was put on hold. Not an easy decision for me as I am fully committed to this project of mine. But a necessary one to recharge my batteries, re-kindle my passions and create the necessary headspace to be creative again.
So now I back. Full of energy, full of new ideas, and with exciting new collaborations. Later this week the pause for The Active Amputee will come to an end. And without giving too much away, here is a little sneak preview. Over the coming weeks, expect…
- …to read more interesting articles. I will start right away with presenting another exciting start-up that produces amazing prosthetic covers.
- …to see more ‚Five Pictures and I‘ stories where amputees present themselves by sharing five of their favorite photos, explaining what these pictures mean to them.
- …to learn more about an exciting new collaboration with the best rehabilitation centre in East Africa and its incredible work that changes the life of thousands each year.
- …to discover more about the the first podcast episode currently in the making, which I hope to launch soon.
- …to discover the details of a new challenged I set myself. This time it’s not about climbing, but walking. Loads of walking actually.
- …to get involved in the first The Active Amputee photo competition for readers.
So stay tuned. This will be an exciting year.
Post by Bjoern Eser. Bjoern is the founder of The Active Amputee.
Further Reading
Fundraising in Timor Leste
My work often brings me to countries in the tropics. Sometimes just for a few weeks. Sometimes for years. And while a high-tech knee is a great plus when it comes to being active and mobile, they soon hit their limits when water, sand, mud and rice paddies are involved. A simple backup option is needed. And often this can be done locally. As it was in my case, in Timor Leste back in 2009. read more
Getting into paraclimbing
Climbing is an amazing sport. Full stop. No matter if you are into bouldering or top-roped routes at a local climbing wall, prefer pre-bolted sport routes outdoors or love the thrill of proper multi-pitch trad climbing or a deep-water solo, the sport has something for everybody. And I mean everybody, no matter if you are able-bodied (what ever that is) or not. read more
The art of letting go
I am pretty steadfast in my belief that the body is self-organizing and self-healing given the right conditions. Mind you, knowing those conditions is another thing. I had to let go of “why” this was happening to me and “what else can I do”. Interestingly, when I began to explore the option to amputate, some incredible experiences “appeared” in my life. read more