Behind The Blog: That Girl In The Wheelchair

When the lovely Kimmie emailed me last week to introduce herself, I knew we’d have a lot in common. Not only does this spunky lady refer to her wheelchair as “a supporting character in my life,” but she’s also in love with her dogs, shopping and reality TV. It’s clear that Kimmie won’t let anything stop her, so get ready to be inspired. I hope you enjoy reading her story. And as always, I’d love to feature you and your blog, so feel free to email me (mellow1422 [at] aol)…

Quick facts:
Name…Kimberly Jones, but everyone calls me Kimmie
Birthday…November 18, 1982. I am a Scorpio through and through
Where are you from…I am from a suburb outside of Nashville, TN, where I still reside. I am crazy in love with Middle Tennessee and can’t imagine myself anywhere else.
3 words that describe you…observant, genuine and sarcastic
Occupation…In December, due to restructuring, I lost my ho-hum job as an insurance-adjusting cubicle dweller, which was a total blessing. Currently, I am pursuing what has always been my dream — to tackle several different freelance writing projects all at the same time. It’s like being thrown off a boat and not being entirely sure how to swim. It’s scary and refreshing.
Blog: My blog is That Girl In The Wheelchair, and I talk about basically anything that I feel like delving into. The unifying force is that everything is from the perspective of a girl in a wheelchair with a slightly odd sense of humor. Most of the content is cultural trends and popular culture, but I pepper in a lot of personal stories and nostalgia.
When did you start your blog…I’ve always felt at home in the blogosphere. I had a Myspace blog. Then when I was in college, 2004ish, I started a blog called As The Wheel Turns. Around summer 2010, several years after that blog had gone to blog heaven, I started That Gilrl in the Wheelchair after I got a sinus infection and basically had nothing better to do. The decision was hands-down one of the best ones of my life. These last two years, my blog has seen me through a very serious month-long stay in intensive care after a collapsed lung, meeting the love of my life and the loss of a job, a gallbladder and most difficult, my father. Writing about these events was the best form of therapy.

What inspired you to start a blog?

Prior to 2010, I had been working on writing a book for years and was pretty much stuck in park. I thought blogging would keep my creative muscles active and help me decide what resonated with people. After much consternation, I just opted to name it That Girl in the Wheelchair because that is the superficial thing that sets me apart from the pack. It also gets it out of the way early on….kinda like saying, “Yes. I am disabled. Let’s move on.”

What do you love the most about blogging? Does anything about it stress you out?
The amazing kinship you can have within a community of bloggers is something I never expected to find. Seriously, the talented people I follow are bad-ass. I’m lucky enough to have found some great disabled bloggers and also have a family of Nashville lady bloggers who give me great feedback and ideas. They also can totally relate when I get weird search terms in my analytics or are great sources of advice. Sometimes, I do tend to get stressed out when I write something I think is great and it gets no views, yet the post I put little thought into gets really popular. It’s hard to know what people like, so you just have to follow your gut and stick to writing what you love.

If you had to describe your blog in one sentence, what would you say?
The sometimes-coherent ramblings of a disabled woman who is fully inspired by the ridiculous.

What has blogging taught you?

What advice do you have for new bloggers?
Be consistent and find inspiration EVERYWHERE! My iPhone holds a constant list of writing ideas, so if I ever hit a dry spell, I consult the list. I also take pictures all the time which serve as a good basis for blogs. Also, read a lot of blogs voraciously. This is a great way to gain followers and get ideas.

Where do you see yourself and your blog in 5 years?

What has surprised you the most about blogging?