Pay It Forward

Each year, one of my rugby teammates holds a fundraiser called Pay It Forward. The event raises money for the LoneStar Paralysis foundation which focuses on research, recovery and recreation for people with spinal cord injuries. Different restaurants and chefs from around Austin bring in some of their specialty foods to sample, there is live music and a silent auction. I always enjoy it because it's a great opportunity to see folks from the wheelchair/adaptive sports community and to meet new people. I am used to being around lots of people in wheelchairs from all my sport involvement but they are usually mostly guys. At this event I see more women in wheelchairs than I do the rest of the year! It's nice not to stick out for a change.

They had a photo booth this year and Morey and I have kind of made a habit of frequently photo booths. We of course had to dress up in cowboy hats since it was nearly our 5 year anniversary of being in Texas. Morey kept wanting to put his head down but then he would be out of the picture so I had to prop his head up. As you might imagine, we got a lot of compliments on our photos!

Morey does not enjoy the event nearly as much as I do. Since it is directly after work I always have him with me but he would much prefer to stay at home. There are lots of wheels and high heels moving around and no real place for him to get out of the way. The music can get pretty loud for me so I know he is probably not enjoying it. He is also exposed to a lot of food on nose level- on people's laps, on serving tables and on the floor. While sometimes he does lean closer for a sniff, he is a very good boy and never tries to steal a bite.

This year he did have a run in with a pair of very high heels. One of the support staff on our rugby team accidentally stepped on his tail and Morey let out a very loud cry. Normally when he gets stepped on I think he yelps more out of surprise than out of pain but I could tell this time it had really hurt. Our staff member felt horrible but it had been a complete accident. Morey's tail was actually a similar color as the floor and most people aren't looking for tails as they walk by. Morey gladly accepted all the attention he got from the people feeling sorry for him and he was acting his normal self in just a few minutes. For the rest of the evening he did keep his tail tucked quite close to him which is what I wish he had done from the beginning!

I am honored to be able to attend events like this with such a handsome guy by my side!