Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

With Darrell recovering nicely from gall bladder surgery, I can now resume my other commitments, including misbehaving!

Two days before the unexpected ordeal began, we had attended the Misbehaving Women Event – a fundraiser for the Avalon Women’s Centres. “Misbehaving Woman of the Year” Awards were presented to those who embody Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s quote “well behaved women seldom make history”. The awards honours women who have refused to be pulled into the cultural drift of complacency, who have dared to make a difference, taken a risk and enhanced the lives of women in her community.

Isabella and Glenda – two misbehaving women

Isabella Mori, who met me somewhere along my virtual book tour and we have since become Twitter buddies, kindly nominated me for an award. I gave a short acceptance speech using my laptop.

The transcript follows:

Thank you for your kind words, Isabella. I truly appreciate it.

When I told my husband Darrell that I was nominated for a Misbehaving Woman Award, he said it was about time I was caught for misbehaving! He has learned to expect the unexpected from me.

The “Misbehaving Woman of the Year” Award

Thinking about what I might say tonight, one story came to mind. Several years ago, Darrell and I visited Van Duessen Gardens. Upon paying the admission, we received a map showing the various paths, including the nicely paved ones designated for wheelchairs. I wanted to spend the next few hours enjoying the gardens. I didn’t want to spend that time reading a map to follow the wheelchair path. The map was quickly tossed into Darrell’s bag on the back of his wheelchair and off we went, wandering the gardens without knowing what was around the next corner.

This story sums up how I have chosen to live life. People have expected me to take the nicely paved path laid out for the disabled. They expected me not to try, not to accomplish and not to succeed. That map was tossed out long ago. I have followed my own path as a person, a woman, who happens to have a physical disability. If following my ambitions, my passions, my dreams and helping people along the way, in spite of this disability, is misbehaving, then I am going to continue misbehaving! Thank you.

Women celebrating women was a great way to spend an evening!