31 msfocusmagazine.org "walks" with my family again. I became part of their lives once more. The scooter was, and still is, very freeing. Today, the scooter is my main form of trans- portation around myhome and neighborhood. I frequently, if not daily, take my scooter to grocery stores, restaurants, the library, and, in the summer, to the pool to swim two or three times a day. Over the years, I generally have had two or three of my children with me – standing, sitting, or hanging off the scooter as I drove by. I became known in the neighborhood as ‘the scooter dad with those happy kids.’ Their riding positions became a rite of passage. Starting as infants, they sat on my lap. As toddlers, they stood or sat in front of me. Finally, by the age of six or seven, they stood behind me holding onto the seatback for dear life. Scooters are not the only AMDs to have a tremendous effect on helping me remain independent. A little more than 10 years ago, while driving, my oldest daughter caught me grabbing the hem of my shorts to lift my leg, moving my foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal. The look of horror on her face informed me it was time to make a serious change. I had a digital accelerator ring hand control system installed in my car and it has been a godsend. Once again, an AMD has kept me from being housebound and has enabled me to maintain my independence. I can't tell you the number of new friends I have made just by cruising around on my scooter, or from people asking me about the ring on top of my steering wheel. People generally want you to succeed and love engaging in conversation. As a matter of fact, I recently went on a Caribbean cruise with my scooter and became somewhat of a rock star by the end of the trip. However, a word of advice to new scooter warriors: never leave home without a fully charged battery, charger, and cell phone. You don't want to run out of juice, or those new friends of yours will be pushing you and your scooter home. RudyYanuck would love to hear about the trials and triumphs of your MS journey to share in his talks and blog. He believes that together, we inspire and empower each other. Contact him via email at rryanuck@gmail.com or visit his blog www.rudysmsblog.blogspot.com. 866 782 9658 Learn More at AquilaCorp.com