The Search

What if everyone chalked up how you felt into a million different reasons because they didn't actually know why you felt bad?  What if your doctor told you your symptoms didn't really exist and it was 'all in your head'?  What if no one was ever willing to help you because they weren't sure how their treatment would effect you?  This describes me.  I am a mystery. 

     I have a physical disability and am also legally blind.  My disability doesn't have a name; it has no rhyme or reason.  I have a list of symptoms that have not been tied together.  I am rare and I will probably always be rare because, you see, the search for a diagnosis has been far and wide and 16 years long.  No answers have been given; I have even been turned down from studies.  

     But the name, I do not care about.  The reason, I do not want.  What I want is for doctors to think outside of the box.  If there are symptoms to go off of then there are ways to help.   What I want is to change the way people with disabilities are perceived and thought about.  What I want is to be able to share my story.  

     It is time to stop searching and start living!

Curiosity Is Okay; Ask Away

Curiosity is okay.  Ask away!

     This past Thursday this guy who eats lunch with my friends and I asked generally, "If someone has a birth defect, is it their fault or their parents fault?"  This question made me upset at first but after thinking about it I realized that it's ok.  That the question he asked was not an insensitive question; it was just curiosity at work.  It might not have been worded in the perfect way but it was a question nonetheless.  I feel like I had no right to get upset because people have a right to ask questions and be curious. 

     In fact, I would rather people ask me questions  instead of staring at me and wondering how I do things.  It is always better to ask questions; better for you and me.  Once you ask I know you are no longer wondering and staring, and for you, you will have knowledge that you did not have before.  You will have a different perspective from the information given. 

     Curiosity makes the world go 'round.  If people didn't ask questions sciences wouldn't be advancing, technology wouldn't be where it is today and no one would know anything about anyone.  Curiosity is okay, so ask away. 

I have a dream…

Wether you can walk, talk, see, and hear or you have a disability one thing is for sure; we are all people.  Some of us are discriminated against, but I have a dream to fix that. 

     I have a dream that one day everyone will use People-First language.  People-First language is a way to form a sentence where you put the person's name and their accomplishments before you state that they have a disability.  

     I have a dream that one day all buildings will be accessible.  That every building will be designed so that EVERYONE can utilize it's features.  

     I have a dream that one day everyone is treated with the same respect.  That no one will be funneled into different classrooms just because they have a disability and no one talked down to or treated like a child because they look different.  

     I have a dream that one day people will be seen for their ABILITIES; not for their disability.  I have a dream that one day everyone will be treated equally because we are all people; the same but different.  This is my dream and I hope it comes true. 

We Are All Great!!

I believe that the people in your life cross your path for one of two reasons; to build you up or make you stronger.  Some may consider the people who make them stronger their enemies but your enemies or anyone who takes part in anything you may consider bad is just making you more tolerant, forgivable, companionate and strong.  The other person is the one who you can talk to and confide in, the one who makes you happy or bring your spirits up; your friend.  And I lied, up above, there is a third type of person that crosses your path.  A person that both brings you up and makes you stronger.  A person makes you happy but can also make you mad.  

     I was having a conversation with of these people today and he said something that couldn't believe came out of his mouth.  He's the third type of person.  The one that can make you but can also make you mad.  Well, he noticed I was sad and he said, "For every thing that you consider less average about yourself there are more that are above average."   That made me happy, which was his goal. 

     What he is saying is that there are more good qualities than bad in a person.  None of us are perfect and we will never be, but all of us are great.  

     There are three types of people in this world.  The mindful thinkers, the physically strong, and the spiritually strong.  And we are all great!

Day in a Chair

October 23, 2013 marked the first Day in a Chair Program at a high school!  Day in a Chair was an event where 12 of my peers and my principal at Point Loma High School got to spend their school day using wheelchairs.  At the end of the we all met in the library and discussed our struggles and experiences of the day.   And with being in a wheelchair myself, it was really interesting to hear all the experiences and struggles of my peers.

Here is a short documentary of the day made by the video production class at Point Loma High School;

http://youtu.be/Ww8Unknmh5c