by Amanda Nicholson
Without the right chair to sit on, I wouldn’t be able to make a living, even if it is only part-time. I also never would have written eight novels under several names and more than a dozen shorter books.
I began to get neck and back pain over 13 years ago and have tried and failed to get help from doctors. So, among other things, I bought my first ergonomic chair five years ago. Since then, I’ve gone through at least one chair a year but it’s worth it. There was a time when I did all my freelance copywriting work sitting on a kitchen chair at a normal table.
The physical support I get from an ergonomic chair makes all the difference to how much I can do before I have to stop to take a break, or if it’s really bad, try again the following day.
Now, as I’ve returned to novel writing and stepped up my book marketing by finally giving in to the hype and going on TikTok, this means I spend more time than ever at my computer. I’m either writing, editing, or making videos about my writing life or the books I’ve enjoyed reading.
Seating is important to me outside of my home too. I dread going to standing gigs, even when it’s a band or singer I love. I know that eventually, being stood up for too long will mean my pain gets worse. So, I try to time it so that unless I really like the support acts, I get there just before the main act, then usually leave just before the encore, satisfied that I’ve at least seen most of the act I wanted to see. Seated gigs are still preferable though.
I attended my first comic con last year and didn’t think about what to expect. So, I knew which panels I wanted to go to, but quickly realised the seating was extremely limited. After a few hours of standing, I left early, and without seeing my chosen panels.
I noticed on social media that a few others had a similar problem. The event organisers said they have a system where people tell them ahead of time that they have a disability and get seating if they need it. This is great in theory but wouldn’t work for me. Because of the various doctor’s reluctance to help me, or send me for scans, this means I don’t have a diagnosis. So, I can’t provide proof of my disability. While I understand that they need to see proof, it still doesn’t help me and puts me off attending conventions in the future. This is a shame because apart from the seating issue, I think I would have enjoyed it.
