PARADIVES...Pursuing Accessible Resorts And Dive - Inspired Vacations Every Summer.
June 2013
My name is Kris Gulden, and I am a high school teacher. A retired police officer. A sister, a daughter, an aunt. A cousin, a niece, a friend. A scuba diver. A paraplegic.
On May 26, 1998, I was hit by a car while riding my bicycle in Fairfax County, Virginia. My life has changed in innumerable and immeasurable ways since then. Some of those changes have been good; others, not so much. One thing is for certain, though - change happens in every life, and each of us gets to decide how we will cope with that change.
I don't like having a spinal cord injury. In fact, I hate it. I hate waking up and transferring into a wheelchair every morning. I hate how difficult it is to button my shirt. I hate paying someone to cut my grass, clean my gutters, shovel snow from my sidewalk. I hate being limited in the things I can do and the ways I can do them.
But I also know that I'm very lucky. Lucky to be alive. Lucky to have a loving and supportive family, the very best friends and neighbors, the greatest dog. Lucky to have a decent job, a comfortable home, and good health.
I realized soon after my accident that I am - in many ways - the person I was before my accident. My core being did not change just because I can no longer walk. So my thirst for adventure, my sense of humor, my desire to get out and play, my interest in helping others...those traits still exist, although I have had to find different ways to satisfy them.
I love to write and tell stories. I love the islands and the water. I hope the stories I am sharing on this web site encourage people to get out and explore the world, perform a kind deed, learn a new hobby, or do something they've always wanted to do. Life doesn't wait for you. Why would you wait for it?
Carpe diem!
June 2013
My name is Kris Gulden, and I am a high school teacher. A retired police officer. A sister, a daughter, an aunt. A cousin, a niece, a friend. A scuba diver. A paraplegic.
On May 26, 1998, I was hit by a car while riding my bicycle in Fairfax County, Virginia. My life has changed in innumerable and immeasurable ways since then. Some of those changes have been good; others, not so much. One thing is for certain, though - change happens in every life, and each of us gets to decide how we will cope with that change.
I don't like having a spinal cord injury. In fact, I hate it. I hate waking up and transferring into a wheelchair every morning. I hate how difficult it is to button my shirt. I hate paying someone to cut my grass, clean my gutters, shovel snow from my sidewalk. I hate being limited in the things I can do and the ways I can do them.
But I also know that I'm very lucky. Lucky to be alive. Lucky to have a loving and supportive family, the very best friends and neighbors, the greatest dog. Lucky to have a decent job, a comfortable home, and good health.
I realized soon after my accident that I am - in many ways - the person I was before my accident. My core being did not change just because I can no longer walk. So my thirst for adventure, my sense of humor, my desire to get out and play, my interest in helping others...those traits still exist, although I have had to find different ways to satisfy them.
I love to write and tell stories. I love the islands and the water. I hope the stories I am sharing on this web site encourage people to get out and explore the world, perform a kind deed, learn a new hobby, or do something they've always wanted to do. Life doesn't wait for you. Why would you wait for it?
Carpe diem!
