Loa’s Blog

September 25, 2020

On the Outside Looking In

My standing experience not only gave me an opportunity to be on the outside looking in, but also offered another difference in perspective.

Typically, when one hears the expression "on the outside looking in" it is with a negative connotation, implying that someone is being excluded, or shut away from the action.  My life has often put me in situations where I am on the inside looking out.  I do not get out of my bed every day and my difficulty maintaining my body temperature means I often choose to remain indoors when the weather is less than delightful.  Ergo, I am on the inside looking out.  Sharing this is not a bid for sympathy, but merely a point of reference for the recent experience I had being on the outside looking in.

A few days ago, on a beautiful sunny day with a pleasant breeze, I decided to take my standing frame outside and stand on the back deck attached to my bedroom rather than in my bedroom. Use of a standing frame allows people with limited mobility to bear weight, which is beneficial for several aspects of general health, especially maintaining bone density.  In order to find a spot in the shade I was positioned looking at our house.  Now it may seem weird that I do not spend much time looking at our house like this; however, typically when I go outside I enjoy our side patio which has lots of sunshine, umbrellas for shade, tables, and a gas fireplace, but not many windows looking into the house.

Anyway, as I was standing there my mom suddenly popped her head out from her bedroom window to waive and say hello, and a few minutes later my dad did the same from the kitchen window.  Perhaps this does not seem terribly interesting, but I was struck with an incredible sense of role reversal.  My parents often look into my bedroom windows when I am in bed to check on me if they are outside and it felt really good to experience the reverse, which got me thinking about perspective.

We often view the world and from a narrow perspective which is formed by the experiences of our daily life, but a little change of scenery can offer a very different view.  My standing experience not only gave me an opportunity to be on the outside looking in, but also offered another difference in perspective.  Sitting in my wheelchair, or lying in my bed, I am often looking up at others who are standing, but in my standing frame, which is elevated slightly from the ground, I am much taller and also get a chance to look down on things. 

Both of these changes in perspective reminded me how important it is to try and view the world from perspectives other than our own.  Everyone comes from a different place in life with different experiences, and these shape the people that they become and the choices that they make.  Whether we agree or disagree, I think it is important to try and view the world from other perspectives, in order to broaden our understanding of not only the choices that others make, but of everything that the world has to offer.  An hour standing outside not only gave me a different view of my home, it enlightened me to how much bigger the world is if we broaden the vantage point of what we are viewing.

The views expressed by Loa are not necessarily the view of the Ventec Life Systems, its members or the clinical board. These blog posts are the personal experiences of Loa. The blog posts are not intended to provide clinical advice or training related to VOCSN. Always consult a physician or trained clinician prior to using VOCSN. Please refer to the VOCSN Clinical and Technical Manual for detailed instructions, including indications and contraindications for use. VOCSN is available by prescription only.

This website uses cookies to ensure site visitors get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies and Privacy Policy.