A Stroll Through Home
by Jersquall, HSM Editor Emeritus
Everyone here has a story.
Years ago, on a mid- June morning, I awoke to a phone call from my then-girlfriend asking me to go swimming while she babysat at her uncle’s house. It was a hot day in the San Joaquin Valley, so I gathered my things, called up another friend to hang out with, and away we went.
We were young and crazy. And before thinking it through, I decided to jump off the roof of the house into the pool.
I remember being up there.
And the dive.
And the…
I felt a pain like an electrical shock throughout my body. I was dazed, and could only see kids splashing, but I could not move. Couldn’t talk. Couldn’t breathe. Last thing I remembered was slowly sinking. Rolling over to see the sparkling ripples on the surface of the water. Fade to black.
I awoke three days later. I was in traction in the hospital. I was told I had a partial cut of the spinal cord at C-5, 6 on the base of the neck.
I was a quadriplegic.
They flew me to one of the best spinal cord injury hospitals in California: Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. After five months of occupational/physical rehab I was released.
Video games are just that. Games. Not being able to move your fingers in a live-or-die virtual game situation sure puts things in perspective. But nothing was going to stop me. Thank you, Sony. I love games. I might suck at some, but I still play. When I heard about PlayStation Home while the_original_se and I were still at GameShark, I knew where I was going to spend much of my day and many of my nights.
I just didn’t know at the time how many!
“I can walk in Home” was my original message thread to those who were my friends, and a testimony for others who had disabilities as to the awesomeness of PlayStation Home. Home is a virtual society; it is only as alive as the people who inhabit it. And if there’s a message in all of this, it’s to create. Build. Share. Because ultimately that’s all that matters.
Come this August, it will have been five years of helping Home users — in Home itself, on the forums, and via community media outlets. I was a part of a very famous club in Home’s early open beta called the Nameless Ones. Later co-created GamerIndepth with Narde15, and after that co-created HomeInformer with Sophronia. I was the podcast editor for weekly podcasts from GI and later HSM. But my love was being the very first Home Community Volunteer, helping to shape that program from day one until I retired nearly four years later.
And through it all, I could walk in the virtual world called Home.
This week we saw the release of the virtual wheelchair in Home. I am happy to say this brings me full circle. Yeah, there are tears. Because I think it’s pretty bleeping cool.
Help each other. Build something together. If Stephen Hawking can spend his days and nights locked inside his own mind, communicating only with a machine that translates his eyeball movements, and still be one of the world’s foremost theoretical physicists, then what’s my excuse? And if you are blessed enough to still have all of your mental and physical faculties intact…what are you choosing to do with them?
Home is what we make of it. Together.
Now that you know my stroll through Home, enjoy my stroll through the park. it’s been a great ride.
May 29th, 2013 by Jersquall | 10 comments
Jersquall is a retired Home Community Volunteer, co-founder of Club HOMEinformer, and podcast commentator for HomeStation Magazine. His views expressed in HSM are his own.
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I have to say, the first time I saw a wheelchair in Home I wasn’t sure what to think of it. Unfortunately I see the majority of people in a negative light -- I mean in a very broad spectrum, the human condition and all that. Wheelchairs in Home, my first thoughts were pretty negative, to say the least.
What they symbolize for someone such as yourself however, well, I can see the emotional (and good) side to them.
My main worry is that most trolls look for anything to get the biggest response they can, and these may just be used in a very wrong way.
I was a bit hesitant about this item as well, not sure how people were going to use it in Home because many are too immature to realize what they truly signify to those who are in them in real life. Being a person who deals with people in wheelchairs every week, I have learned a lot from the joy they display to me each week, despite their circumstances. They are some of the most courageous people I know because they choose to make the best of a bad situation everyday of their lives. Great article Jers, glad to see you back on the front page.
I remember going to a Red lobster restaurant in Temecula, CA a few years back with friends after a convention and we had already discussed what we had wanted before the waiter arrived. I watched the waiter ask other what they wanted and then he asked my friend closest to me what I was having. >.> Me being me went right into being a little more than disabled. I WANT CAKE! I said unintelligibly. My friends almost spit with laughter. perception and knowledge is why this story was written. Oh, I got a free piece of cake after dinner with a huge apology.
I swear, one of these days when I’m out that way, I will hijack Norse and have him drive us out to visit you for some Round Table. THIS. MUST. HAPPEN.
Besides, you’re like family, how could we not?
Awesome read my dear!!! Our physical bodies do not define who we are. Our bodies my limit us to an extent but our minds can often find work arounds. I know that this story wasn’t a fun story for Jers to tell… and I know of what I say. I hesitate to write what I want to here because i will come off as a fan girl but I can’t help myself.
Our bodies do not define who we are… our actions do! That said, I have never met, in any reality, anyone that I respect and adore more than Jers!!!
I am very lucky to call him my dear friend and any and everyday that I don’t see him I miss him.
I remember he commented on my first article and I was star struck. Not because of his Home fame…. but because of his reputation of being a man of grace, dignity and honor. I here to tell you that reputation does not and can not do him justice.
See, I told you I would sound like a fan girl… maybe because when it comes to Jers I am.
Love you Jers!!! And more than I could ever show you!
BTW… the cakes a lie… next time order the pie… mmmm pie
Very very good read Jersquall. I know a gent that is in a wheel chair as well. To what degree are his injuries, I do not know. But I do know that he tried very hard for a long time to get a wheel chair that (and he told me this, and I don’t know for certain) was available through the casino as a prize. He wanted it to represent his real world condition. I always applauded him for that simply because in a place where one could represent themselves any way they wanted, he chose to be true to himself and represent himself in a wheel chair. Krazyface is right that there will be trolls who will use this to a bad end, but we can never ever stop a thing because the trolls may use it wrong, the fact is a troll is a troll, and for those that want it, because it is part of their real lives, then at least it is there and available so that on those days you want to be you, it will be there, and the luxury of Home is that on those days you want to be anything you want to be, that’s still available too. Very brave article, and it’s good to see that you enjoy Home and it seems that you let nothing stop you. Bravo.
Thanks everyone for taking the time.
need I say more?
I identify with people because I see a lot of others with issues what ever that is. I have been to wake services in Home for people who have passed away. I have laughed and cried with friends. I have a deep feeling for what others have been through and still go through. That may sound cryptic but I would never go into details when such things are of so personal in nature but I understand how hard life can be to deal with sometimes. Obviously a great reason to put some things on the back burner and have fun time on the PS3. Olivia, your heart..
I never really understood the whole ”fame” thing. Recognition by deeds I can get behind. Didn’t really understand that until I took time away and had a chance to reflect. I was just that busy before. Googled myself and liked it lol? As far as helping others, I did it right. comments like these and in the forums are proof enough for me. Continue helping here guys and in life. Have fun doing that and you won’t want for much. HSM rocks’
This is a wonderful article to read!!!
I felt many of the same feelings when I first came to Home. I have experienced the same in the rlw. I remember saying the things to myself,as your message to your friends. I said them mine to myself. I had no friends on home at that point. I remember the intoxicating feeling I had. It was and still is awesome! Home is and always will be special for me.
I was never taught to believe in limitations,so I don’t. My avatar reflects how I have always known myself to be. She may not be who the real world sees physically, but she is who I have always been and seen.
Thanks for sharing Jersquall.
Thanks Sony!
Truth be told, I hadn’t heard of Jersquall before the first ever issue of HomeStation (yes I was a sheltered Home user), but shortly after that I met him on Home and I must say he is one of the greatest guys I’ve met on Home. This is another quite powerful article and thanks for writing it man.