To introduce myself accurately I’d say I’m a 21 year old writer who’s kind of/sort of in college, with zero definite answers as to what I’m supposed to accomplish in life. In my most productive hours I can be found watching Grey’s Anatomy. Don’t knock it till you’ve watched it, it’s an epic show, one that’s been around for more than a decade; one that’s so good Parks and Recreation (also amazing) cleverly acknowledged it’s emotional draw.
After a Grey’s Anatomy marathon (thank God for Netflix) I found myself thinking about life as that show often makes me do. A quote from the former Chief Weber was stuck in my head, he said; “Don’t lick your wounds, celebrate them. The scars you bare are the signs of a competitor. You’re in a lion fight.”
What are my wounds? Where are my scars? What should I be celebrating?
Cerebral Palsy (CP) was my answer. I was born three months early, weighing just over two pounds (I could be palmed like a teacup Chihuahua.) I was a fighter then, well not really but I had the army of my parents and family fighting for me, which created the fighter I am today. Doctors said I would never walk, they were wrong. I walked because my mom fought for me. Growing up was hard because my childhood was walkers, canes, braces, and endless therapy. My normal always had to be a bit different and I always resented that. My disability is a scar, several actually, it’s not something I like and it’s hardly something I accept.
Maysoon Zayid, a gorgeous female comedian is someone who sees her Cerebral Palsy with acceptance. Her TED talk inspired me. This woman knows that her disability does not define her but she is also strong enough to know that it is part of her. Zayid mentioned the disabled are underrepresented, I would like to change that, just as she is. All of us have things to accept about ourselves and until we get there we can’t move forward.
There’s hardly a difference between the abled and the not so much. We’re all people, we all inherently need the same things. We’re all in a lion fight. We all have scars and we all have reasons to celebrate.
Mindless Peace 