What’s Freedom to You?
Today is Independence Day in the United States, and it may very well be my favorite Holiday.
It has nothing to do with fireworks or cookouts or that I had ancestors fight in the war. I probably had some on both sides.
This picture was taken during a short break at the PPMD Conference. Aside from being a lovely scene. For me, it represents freedom.
Freedom is a powerful word, and...
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From Cute Kid in the Chair, To Nice Guy
I have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and I’m in my late 30’s. I’ve noticed something about relationships, and I’m sure I am not the first. For me, the way it was is very likely still the way it is for you younger guys.
Cute Kid
For me up through high school, I was popular with the ladies, and I don’t necessarily mean the ladies my age. College...
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The Future?
Every year 20,000 parents find out their child has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It was a known possibility for some families, and others – like my family – are caught completely unaware.
Unfortunately, muscular dystrophy families do not have a monopoly on the grief of a child with a disability. In the disability community, far more than 20,000 families a year receive a...
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What Makes a Hero?
Hero?
I was once asked what I thought about calling individuals with DMD heroes and warriors just because they have a disability.
True, it’s challenging to have DMD, but every person on the Earth has a struggle of some sort, and no one understands someone else’s fight. You bemoan your fate, but if you had to live with my normal, you might handle it better than I do, and...
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Human Touch and Disability
When was the last time someone passing by brushed your arm or touched your shoulder? Remember the last time you were able to give someone a real five with an audible noise? If you can’t recall, it’s possible you don’t have DMD or have not left your house since Covid started. Touch is something humans quickly take for granted; it is a form of nonverbal communication. If...
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Prepare for 90 at 20
There are very few things that humans cannot control, overcome, or at least influence. We can build dams on rivers, create lakes, control, and put out forest fires. We have even found ways of overcoming gravity. However, there is one thing we have not learned to control, and that is time. Even if we could somehow slow the planet’s rotation and add more days to the...
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Leap of Faith
Faith is an often misunderstood concept. When people hear the word faith, they tend to think of religions where an individual believes in a supreme being of some sort. However, people do themselves a great disservice by thinking that faith is only religious. Faith in one’s self is perhaps the most significant asset any individual can attain in life. As children, we were full of...
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