My time at Quantum® started with a wedding and ended with a funeral. I do not remember much of the past year and a half, for a number of different reasons. Generally, I have a horrible memory. I lost a job then landed another job. I found love then lost love. I gained relatives, yet lost relatives. I transitioned into a pandemic, existed through said pandemic, and I continue to endure through it. Most of it is a blur and the pictures serve as reminders of something that feels like it occurred, without a shadow of exaggeration, a lifetime ago. Strangely, one of the constants in my life was my Quantum Edge 3 Power Wheelchair. Now that the craziness has finally subsided, let’s talk about the most eventful year of my life.
Getting a New Power Wheelchair
A few days before my Edge 3 Power Wheelchair arrived, I sustained an injury while traveling out of state with a friend. In a case of complete user error, I was not paying attention and drove off a sidewalk. Other than a few bumps, bruises and a knee that now hurts in the rain, I was fine and my old chair survived as well. This was a very fitting end for a device that had served me for nearly a decade, a true blaze of glory (no fire was involved). My future rolled through my door a week later, almost like it knew that it had to be there at that exact time and place to prepare me for the year ahead.
A Wedding at iLevel®
My most liked photo on Instagram is my mother and I walking down the aisle together at my sister’s wedding. As I stated in a previous blog, I spent a majority of the ceremony and reception elevated at iLevel® in my power wheelchair. Having the ability to make eye contact with guests and keep my neck intact was a new experience (also, towering above children). That iconic moment could not have been possible without Quantum or iLevel technology. The wedding happened a week after I got my wheelchair in November.
Using iLevel During Quarantine
I broke up with my girlfriend of six months at some point in January and lost my job in March. The pandemic hit my town in New Jersey sometime between then. Thankfully, I was already well-versed in the ways of Animal Crossing and sourdough starters. Throughout the next few months, posting photos of me elevated at iLevel kept me grounded and gave me a purpose other than existing during a pandemic.
An Interview and a New Job
In June 2020, I started my new job at a local independent living center that helps people with disabilities. If you read my blog, you may recall my thoughts about having my interview at iLevel the year before. To this day, unstrained eye contact remains one of my favorite features of iLevel technology. Never would I have guessed that a seemingly one-off interview with a follow up that was delayed six months would result in my current boss volunteering to take a picture for my second job.
A New Year
After more than a few home haircuts and trips to the grocery store, 2021 started with a bang, I became an uncle in January and within four months, I was able to hold him in my arms with the help of the Edge 3 Power Wheelchair recline feature. Fast forward to now: my grandmother who had lived with me since birth, passed away in May. The microphone at the funeral home was broken, so I elevated to my highest point and proceeded to tell a room full of people how much she meant to me. This would not have been possible without iLevel.
I am still fairly indifferent about the past year and a half. To be honest, I could have done without most of it. Thanks Quantum, for being an unusually bright spot in a weird year and for helping me live a life at iLevel.
About Tim Shin: Tim lives in River Vale, NJ and uses an Edge® 3 Power Wheelchair to maintain his independence and mobility. He enjoys food, fashion, music and television. Click here to learn more about Tim.