Thanks for writing this, Eli. I had to wait to get home to type the comment on my one-handed keyboard. It would have taken too long on the phone. Like you, I was born with a disability, mine being cerebral palsy; and also like you, I find it to be a blessing, though I didn't always see it that way. Like the kids say now, as a child, I "I…
Thanks for writing this, Eli. I had to wait to get home to type the comment on my one-handed keyboard. It would have taken too long on the phone. Like you, I was born with a disability, mine being cerebral palsy; and also like you, I find it to be a blessing, though I didn't always see it that way. Like the kids say now, as a child, I "Identified" as a football player and as a soldier, and those things just weren't in the cards for me. I felt like a character in a Kafka novel, being punished for some unknown crime. I wallowed in depression, self-pity, and eventually substance abuse for years before finally realizing how profoundly lucky I am. That I exist at all is an astonishing thing and I'm often in awe of it. Like you, I also had courageous parents who made choices for me with the information they had, while not letting me give up, and trying to give me the best life they could. I'm deeply grateful. Keep up the good work. You have an important vision and voice that people need to see and hear.
Thank you for your note, Steve. The Kafka analogy is spot on and I think every disabled person asks a variation of "why me?" at one point in their lives. Very glad you made it through that difficult place in life. -- Eli
Thanks for writing this, Eli. I had to wait to get home to type the comment on my one-handed keyboard. It would have taken too long on the phone. Like you, I was born with a disability, mine being cerebral palsy; and also like you, I find it to be a blessing, though I didn't always see it that way. Like the kids say now, as a child, I "Identified" as a football player and as a soldier, and those things just weren't in the cards for me. I felt like a character in a Kafka novel, being punished for some unknown crime. I wallowed in depression, self-pity, and eventually substance abuse for years before finally realizing how profoundly lucky I am. That I exist at all is an astonishing thing and I'm often in awe of it. Like you, I also had courageous parents who made choices for me with the information they had, while not letting me give up, and trying to give me the best life they could. I'm deeply grateful. Keep up the good work. You have an important vision and voice that people need to see and hear.
Thank you for your note, Steve. The Kafka analogy is spot on and I think every disabled person asks a variation of "why me?" at one point in their lives. Very glad you made it through that difficult place in life. -- Eli