E-Mail BF@CRIPPLE.COM to Bruce.
Dear Potential Helper!

Thanks for your Interest. Now I will give you the information you asked for and as you read further I'm sure you will get a feeling for what type of person I am. If you find that this is a situation that might interest you please write back immediately (time is important) with some photos of you and tell me more about yourself and what you expect from me. Below is a letter that I composed with feedback from my helpers and it (according to them) captures the essence of what this "job" is about. If you write me back I will write you a more personal letter but I think it is best to outline for you first what this situation is about. Now I will inform you about me and what I am doing.

My name is Bruce Carl Faber, I was born in San Francisco on April 14, 1955. I have two sisters, one brother and two brothers-in-law. As for our family everyone is easy going and enjoys life and we have a strong family unit. I lived in San Francisco until I was 21 years of age and then I moved to Walnut Creek (which is a suburb). On August 12, 1973 I broke my neck in a diving accident at the Russian River (a San Francisco resort area) on a summer bridge at Guernewood Park. As a result of the spinal cord injury I was paralyzed from the neck down and will never walk again. I spent thirteen months in the hospital and had numerous complications. This may sound depressing but it isn't. I take my life and life in general seriously but not in a negative way. I love to laugh, joke, and to surround myself with good friends and family. I am a happy person, I am not shy and I am willing to take chances. I work hard and sometimes like to party hard too. The basis or foundation of the relationships I have with the people who help me is intellectual. I enjoy people with good humor. My interests lie in many areas but some of which I would like to mention here are music, philosophy, film, nature, camping, politics, and people. This is a list of some of my interests but they are not listed in a hierarchy of importance.

First, I must tell you that this is not a job that everyone can do but if you are a person who is willing to take a chance it might be a great experience for both of us. I am looking for someone to work for me at least one year. It is understood that if you did not like being here why should you have to stay the full time. In this case I would expect you to help until I found someone else but hopefully this would not be the case. I have been very fortunate over the years and the majority of people that come to work for me have stayed and our relationships have been great.

The type of work that exists here is not medical but physical, in which case no experience is necessary just a good sense of humor. The physical aspect is in helping me do the things that I can't, such as driving, cooking (a professional cook is not necessary), transferring me from my bed into the wheelchair, and just being my physical interface with this world. In the morning I need to be washed, dressed, and slid into the wheelchair. None of this work requires an extreme amount of strength (although you must have some and you can't be too short) but rather technique which is easily learned. Three nights a week I need help with bowel care and every night bladder care. In the morning we eat our breakfast together and then we would do whatever time permits. We are mostly at home during the week days because I do some work out of my house for a telecommunications company. In the evening you would cook our dinner and we would attend classes at the University together two or three nights a week depending on my schedule. At the University I would require your help with the physical things that I cannot do. At the moment I'm not attending university but I might in the future because I love school and learning new things.  

As for time off there is definitely not much and this is why it is so important that we can identify with each other in some way. If we become friends then much of what you might want to do we can do together as you would with any other friend. Movies, day trips and visiting people. This feature has been very rewarding for me because I have had the pleasure of knowing and sharing some great times with some very special people.

 If you are interested in your typical Au-pair type job this is definitely not it. The benefit here is that you would have someone that you could talk to and argue with. I would hire you because you are interesting and you are someone that I would like to try and build a good friendship and experience new things with. I love "I can do it people." These are people who look at a problem and instead of throwing their hands up in the air and giving up, they accept the challenge and go forward. I am this type of person.

I have a dog named Laureen. She is a Golden Retriever / Golden Labrador Mix. Laureen is a specially trained dog that knows fifty-five commands. She wears a back-pack which identifies her as a trained working dog and she can go with me wherever I go. Everyone that has met her instantly falls in love with her because he has a friendly personality.

The type of courses that I take at the University are mainly those connected with business and computer science. On June 18th, 1993 I finished my MBA degree in Computer Information Systems and I have started my studies for a telecommunications certificate. This is an area that deals with computer networks and all of the surrounding technologies. Maybe you would like to learn something about computers (I have one for my helper) and I could help you here.

I live in a three bedroom house with the person that helps. The area I live in is very pleasant, warm or hot during the summer and cool and rainy during the winter. There is a park two blocks from my house and walking paths that cover the valley.

The most important thing is that we have some common interests, be it music, films, politics, philosophies, or hobbies. I stress that what I have mentioned regarding common interests is very important because without some areas of mutual concern there is a limited basis for living together and sharing experiences. But, if this foundation exists we will have a great time together. My friend Ute once said, "helping me was basically like taking care of herself twice." Ute was one of the people that I was fortunate to meet and she will always be one of my best friends.

During the summer I like to go camping (I have an old motorhome that has been converted) and sight seeing. My sister and her husband frequent a lake around 2.5 hours from my house. It is also nice to take trips around the area. The Bay Area is beautiful. Summer time is great and it lasts from the end of April all of May through September to the beginning of October. If you like summertime warmth this place is warm.

Some names of bands I like are as follows:

Counting Crows, Grateful Dead, Buddy Guy, Sade, Greg Allman, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison, Doors, Joe Jackson, Traffic, Elvis Costello, Robert Cray, Talking Heads, Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Savoy Brown, Neil Young, Steve Winwood, Graham Parker, Rolling Stones, Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Phil Collins, etc.

The reason that I have included music is because music is very important to me.

I hope that there is something here within the content of this letter that interests you and that the pictures that I have included will help you to imagine this situation. If this is the case then you and I have the opportunity of knowing another human being almost as well as one knows themselves plus the advantage of sharing experiences. It is important for me to live with someone with an ability for thought and argument because I definitely understand that my reality is not the ultimate in reason but that it is an attempt to place my perspectives in personal order. From the outside this job might appear as something more difficult than it actually is but I must tell you that this job represents different challenges to different people. Technically, the work here is easy and once we become friends it gets more like being with a friend than a job. If you would like to hear more about this "job" from someone who has "suffered" living with me; I have included the telephone numbers of two people who had lived seventeen months or more and they will be able to give you a clearer picture of what you need to do this job. If you decide to phone Ute, she likes to leave her answer machine on all the time so once you get to the part where you leave your message, leave your name and if she is there she will pick-up the phone. If you try Vivian, she is home in the evenings and weekends.

As for when I need someone, this will be soon. I am not sure how soon so we need to talk first. If you are interested then I need to know more about you. It is important for me to get a response to this letter because it will help me to make my decision. I am looking for a response from you that gives me the feeling that we could work together. I will tell you again that this is not a job for most people, but if you are like one of the few I know that you will have a good time working with me because they have too. If you are interested you should write me (regular mail) and give me your response to what you have read so that I may have an idea about you. Please include some "normal" photos and your telephone number in your letter. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon and learning more about your interests.

Sincerely,

Bruce Faber

P.S. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO E-MAIL ME AND ASK.. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED PLEASE WRITE ME BACK. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LETTER.
 

These are questions that I would ask you if you were here in person.