REGARDING WHISPERINGYELLING, & INSTEAD OF “I WISH…” OR “I CAN’T…”, I THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS:
THIS YEAR, I WAS AGAIN THE ANGEL AT OUR WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY. I HAD 2 PARTS, SO BOTH GIRLS HELPED. AT THE END, WE STOOD IN THE NATIVITY SEEN. THE GIRLS WERE GOOFING OFF, & I COULD DISCIPLINE THEM ON STAGE. IT’S GREAT AT CHURCH MEETINGS 2!
& I HAVE GONE 2 EVENTS 4 A KID ACROSS A ROOM. WHILE I CAN’T YELL, I CAN SIGN, WHICH CAN BE BETTER, SINCE IT’S NOT DISRUPTIVE!
F.A.Q.
Given your condition, what things are you super grateful for?
THERE IS NO 1 THING—IT CHANGES DAY TO DAY, DEPENDING ON MY CIRCUMSTANCES. THAT’S WHY IT WAS SO GREAT TO WRITE A LIST OF MY BLESSINGS. IT REMINDS ME OF WHAT I’VE 4GOTTEN (YOU CAN SEARCH 4 MY GRATITUDE POST IN NOV. 2010, 2 EXPLAIN IT). THE LIST’S CONCEPT IS NOTHING NEW:“When you start lookin’ around for something good to take the place of the bad, as a general rule you can find it. ~From the movie Old Yeller
4 EX., ONCE UPON A TIME, I COULDN’T SCRATCH ANY ITCHES, & WHILE I STILL CAN’T REACH PLACES LIKE MY RIGHT WRIST, I CAN MANEUVER SO WATER IN MY SHOWER HITS IT AT A GOOD ANGLE, OR THE JOYSTICK ON MY WHEELCHAIR SCRATCHES IT! IT’S GOOD 2 HAVE THOSE REMINDERS, BUT IF I HADN’T STARTED OUT “LOCKED IN”, I WOULDN’T KNOW THAT WAS AN ISSUE 2 FEEL GRATITUDE 4!
Has it changed from before?
OF COURSE! U DON’T MISS IT, UNTIL IT IS GONE! MAYBE THAT IS WHY I’M DELIGHTED WHEN MY FAMILY TRIES DOING THINGS “MY WAY”… LIKE MY FAV. 2 THIS DAY, IS WHEN FIA (SOPH) WAS FEEDING JESS, & THE PAUSES BETWEEN BITES WERE JUST KILLING HER, AS SHE STARED AT HER FOOD! ANOTHER FAV., WAS WHEN SOPH PUT HER ARM BEHIND HER BACK, 2 TRY WRITING LIKE ME! THAT PAPER WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE, & SHE NOW HAS SO MUCH CONCERN & SYMPATHY 4 THAT PLIGHT!
WHILE THE SYMPATHY IS NICE, IT’S THE AWARENESS I LIKE SHARING…I COULD’VE TOLD SOPH THE PAPER WOULD MOVE, BUT THE EXPIERENCE MEANT SO MUCH MORE! I BELIEVE THAT’S 1 REASON I AM LUCKY. I AM AWARE OF MUCH THAT I USED 2 TAKE 4 GRANTED!
What gives you the greatest joy in your life?
MY FAMILY & GETTING EMAILS. IF I COULD TALK, I’D SAY CONVERSATION, NOT EMAIL. I LOVE WHEN I AM SAT BY & TALKED 2, BUT SINCE I CAN’T TALK, AN EMAIL IS A NICE ADDITION. IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE U CARE
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I EXIST. SIT BY ME. TALK 2 ME. (I CAN ALWAYS NOD A YES/NO, IF U CAN’T READ MY SIGN LANGAUGE…BUT IF I’M EMAILED, U WILL KNOW THINGS GOING ON IN MY LIFE, & THINGS 2 ASK ME ABOUT.)
What is the hardest thing for you to deal with, with your disability?
PERSONALLY, MY CONDITION CALLED “PBA”, BECUZ I CAN LAUGH WHEN I’M MAD, CRY HARDER WHEN CONSOLED, ETC. BUT AS A GENERAL DISABLED PERSON, I GUESS BEING IGNORED & ASSUMING THAT I’M RETARDED OR SOMETHING.