On Their Knees
Hopefully, most readers know a simple fact about me by now: I happen to embrace my disability. I'd be the first to tell you that there have been many times throughout my life when my situation has caused frustration and pain. However, I have also been able to do...
But He’s A Boy…
It was an adventure that I never thought I would go on. No. I didn't recently go rock climbing or skydiving, but, to me, what I did a couple of months ago posed just as much of a risk. I hired my first male caregiver. It started out innocently enough. Like so many...
Not A Perfect World
Towards the end of the summer of every fourth year, the Olympics is an event that I always look forward to. There is something special about hearing the stories of athletes from all over the world, who have overcome obstacles and put in countless hours of training so...
Learning to Fly
Life is not remembered in days; it is remembered in moments. There are embarrassing moments we would like to forget, and spectacular moments we always want to remember. This momentous day held a little bit of both. May 19th, 1990, dawned bright and clear. Spring, with...
“Push Girls”
When news of the new reality series "Push Girls" came out in the spring, I was intrigued, and eager to see where this adventure would take all the women involved, as well as all the people who were watching. The basis of the show is a friendship among four women, all...
More Than Just A Tree
A few years ago, I was able to achieve what was, for me, part of my American dream. I bought a house. Designed by a graduate student in architecture at the local university, the floor plan was created with the intention that a wheelchair user would live here. The...
Exceptional Friend
They say good friends are hard to find, and for the most part, I have found that to be a very true statement. Many friends have come and gone in my life, close friends stay a little longer. But every once in a while, I find a certain person who is exceptional. A...
He Already Won
"Disability does not have to be a disadvantage." That was the quote from Oscar Pistorius, who made history on Sunday by being the only athlete ever to compete in both the Olympic and the Paralympic games. He is a runner from South Africa, and he uses prosthetic...
It Comes From Within
People ask me about various aspects of my disability all the time. There are all kinds, but probably the most common question I get asked is "What is the worst part about having your disability?" Some people wonder if I want to know what it feels like to run a mile or...
The Other Way Around
The reason I was so touched is that it treated everyone so "normally". The movie that I saw several days ago on television struck a chord deep within me. It wasn't a blockbuster or, to my knowledge, the winner of major academy awards. It didn't touch on significant...