After finding what a sense of freedom I gained by again becoming mobile, I have wanted to share this experience with others who, for one reason or another, find they have lost a large piece of their independence.

I found myself becoming very dependent upon others, (including my wife) , for something so basic as moving from one room to another. This tended to deflate any sense of ego I had managed to hold onto and many will tell you it was a decided improvement.

A pseudo-diagnosis of multiple sclerosis left me wishing it really was MS. In a period of six months, everything below the waist was affected and the effects were disturbing and at the same time, distasteful.

I recall a time I was on a bus filled with a couple dozen of my closest friends and completely losing control of myself, unable to make it to the depositary the bus driver called a lavatory. I hardly ever recall this moment without tears at the thought of what my friends had to do.

By this time, I had become very dependent upon a fold-up cane and then in addition, my wife just to get from one room to another. This was not going to last long. I never liked being a bother to anyone, let alone those I loved.

I tell you all this, not because I want to turn your stomach, but I want you to have some idea of what it meant to me to get a call from the Veterans' Administration saying, "we have a mobility scooter for you".

Thus began my love affair with an over-grown tricycle that brought independence to a 73-year-old American who 50 years previous, did four in the US Navy.

What I have learned about mobility scooters and the related world of assisted living and disability equipment, would fill a book--not a best seller mind you, but one becoming more and more of a necessity for a large number of us Earthlings.

I wish we were a small group, but worldwide we are talking 15 to 20% of the population. That racks up about 650 million souls. Do we all need scooters, not really. Some need less help, many need more.

We all need help in understanding what needs to be done if we ourselves, or someone close to us, suddenly becomes disabled. We can't all go to a nursing home and trust me, we don't want to.

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