What does a change change?

My application for Social Security disability benefits has been approved.

When I first read the letter, I was pleased, as though I'd achieved something of note. I guess that's true. With the help of family, doctors, friends, and others, I've been able to make a clear and truthful case that I'm unable to work. Clarity and truthfulness are important parts of the humility that supports a good life. So, there you have it. By way of federal paperwork (web- and paper-based), I've learned that, according to the rules of the SSA, I am disabled and unable to work because of treatment-refractory depression.

Knowing our limitations is a good thing, but that knowledge, by itself, is a death sentence.

Whether we're looking for a path out or just a path forward, we need to be able to see beyond our limitations. That ability to see beyond can come from many places. Some would call it a higher power. Others might call it reframing. Still others might find it on a long walk in a cold morning. The important thing to know is that any truth worth knowing is a truth that is in transition. A truth that doesn't change is a dead truth.

The disability benefits include a modest income, access to rehabilitation programs, and, in a couple of years, eligibility for Medicare. I'm permitted to work under some restrictions.

My life and my career(s) are filled with stuff that I didn't set out to do, most of which turned out to be better than I'd expected. Here's another one.