Shoes

Shoes are one of my biggest issues with CP is being able to find a pair of shoes that are nice heck cool would be great. I have add AFO all my life probably 20 different pairs. Shoes are all ways hard to find. For the most part when I was little I just got my shoes a size or two bigger, but sometimes there was not a bigger size of the shoes I wanted so I had to go with a pair I like a little less.

After Jr. High started I chose to not wear my AFO to school or at all. This gave me more freedom to find the shoes I like and that fit me. Even this new found freedom in the shoe department there are still many things I struggle with.

1. Flip flops are cool but I can not really wear them. I trip in them all the time.
2. Sandals in general are hard for some stupid reason back-less sandals are in still. While I need to have backs on my sandal but I would love to be in style just like everyone else.
3. Dress shoes are never easy for me and are perhaps the most frustrating part. I like to be a girl and wear the pretty dress but what do you need with your pretty dress but a great pair of high heels. While those are hard for me for the most part I never wear them. I did make an exception for prom.

While almost everyone struggles with the ability to find a pair of shoes they love. I struggle with finding cool practical shoes. I’m still on the hunt but hopefully an star or supermodel will decide that shoes with backs are the new “it” item.

CEC with me

Last year while I was looking for friends after starting my freshmen year at college I came accessed a little know group named call CEC or Council for Exceptional Children. It seemed to good to be true. The group premise was to give students and children in the community that have special need / exceptionalities opportunities and programs that allow them to interacted with people outside their family. So I went and I feel a little out of place their was not a single person with a noticeable disability there.

I sat through the meetings and ended up meeting a lot of friendly people. I kept going and I got to meet a lot of people. After a Christmas break CEC exec board members were looking in vain to find a person with a disability to speak on a panel about special education. To be honest I never gave it much thought. One afternoon I was walk to the education building with a old friend I have reconnected with through CEC(her mom is the advisor) said **** was thinking about asking you to speak at the panel but did not want to upset me, would I like to do it. Its so weird to me because I feel like everyone what would I have to talk about, to me my life is not been that crazy or hard or sad. The only drama in my life had been my own feels. So I went and did the panel I was nervous but got through it. It was great at the end of the semester I ran for a position on the exec and got it. At each general meeting I get butterflies in my stomach worrying if people think I got the job because of my CP or waiting with breaths held when I walk in front of the audience waiting to see if I fall on my face, or hoping all tell my story again. Truth is I don’t feel my story is anything to talk about. Very recently my special education preschool teacher told me Beanie “I bet your tired of people want to hear about your life but, it help parents and allows people to see what people with CP and other disabilities can do” I never thought of it before like that and it makes me feel less like entertainment for gossip.
Later soon maybe I well share part of my story with you.

History

My Twin sister and I were born at 27 weeks or almost 3 months premature. We were born in North Carolina and were in the hospital 80 days. This in essence is the beginning of me, of my story. Not many months later I was diagnosed with CP and so begin the battle. Many doctors told my parents I would never walk and therapy is just something parents do to make themselves feel better. Today and everyday I prove those people wrong just by getting up and working through life.

I decided to write this because I was inspired and saddened by some of the negative things on the internet regarding CP. Its true not everyone can walk or talk some have more significant CP than me and some people are not as affected with CP. This is one of the problems I have with CP. Its hard to find people with CP that I can talk to because there CP does not affect their mobility or in wheelchairs.


Today is a new day and I hope to fix that very soon. I have been asked to talk to parents about my problems and the wonderful things that have happened to me. I want to show them that their kids have all the possibilities in the world with the right support. To this end I hope to show this in my future blogs.

Something Worth Watching 2

Last Comic Standing: Is something worth watching. I started watching it about two years ago this past summer. I’m a little of a closet comedian according to my friends, but mostly I love a good joke. Josh Blue has CP like me and he is a good example of a person that enjoys life CP or not. His jokes are funny and he use his CP as part of his story line. It good to hear some say the things I think about every day and make them positive. Please check out his site.



http://www.joshblue.com/index_lo.html

Something Worth Watching

Rory O’Shea Was Here is a movie that a few over a year. Its a wonderful movie. The movie has two titles Rory O’Shea Was Here or the UK title called Inside I'm Dancing. The plot of the movie is this:
“Michael is a 24-year-old who has cerebral palsy and long-term resident of the Carrigmore Residential Home for the Disabled, run by the formidable Eileen. His life is transformed when the maverick Rory O'Shea moves in. Michael is stunned to discover that fast talking Rory, who can move only his right hand, can understand his almost unintelligible speech. Rory's dynamic and rebellious nature soon sparks a flame in Michael, introducing him to a whole new world outside of Carrigmore.( http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0417791/)”
If this does not sound like something you would watch please give it a try. There are a few sites on the web that have clips from the film and I encourage you to see it. The move is about having a life and doing things that make you happy. I can say enough wonderful things about it. Recently my teacher’ recommended it to her class and I glade she does. The story is “deep” and “moving” but it also using humor wonderfully and gives you another perspective on life.

Life Part 52

People frustrate me I go day to day doing my own thing and then some says or does something I get hurt. The other day I went to water aerobics and they started off ok. Them we get a new teacher and the class is so different. The final straw was when the class went to do the deep-end work I decided not to do it for my own reason. The well meaning class proceeded to tell me it ok if I can’t swim I can still do the class. It really bugged me, I can swim why would they think I can’t. Could it be my CP ?! I hope not but still I had to explain that I can swim and that’s not why decided to leave early.

I'm back

I have so much going through my head it’s hard to know where to begin. I had a wonderful Christmas. I spent must of it staying at home and see good friends. I spent New Years with the flue (no fun!!). A new semester starts today and I’m quit nervous about it. First impressions are so hard for me. I want to……….., I don’t really know normal seems so stupid and not quit right. I want a normal day with all the worries that come with it, but instead I practicing for my conversation with my new professors. Going over how to inform them of m accommodations through Disability Services and what I will need form them. Seems so simple until you have to do it and them is feels like your standing in a beacon of neon light that shouts for the whole world to see. Hopefully things will go fine and I will have no problems, but you never know.