A change of Heart and a full explanation

Has this pandemic made you think about life differently? Did you once see things one way, then see the other side and realize that you would still be you, even if you had not changed yourself because you believed that someone else expected you to change or  “get better”?

     If you have followed me for a while, you know that I have cerebral palsy.

  For the longest time, I believed that getting stronger and being independent meant that I needed to get rid of my chair for good.  

With all of the downtime that I’ve had, I realize that I’ve been wrong. 

       I’m not saying that I believe that I should not be walking; I’m saying that I should not be so quick to feel ashamed of using a wheelchair.  I was a wheelchair and walker user from the ages of four to twenty-six.

If you’ve been following me, you already know this, but lately, I’ve been wondering what life would be like if I had kept my wheels in my life.  I am starting to see that there are many pros to using more than one piece of equipment. 

If I used a chair, I would be able to speed around without waiting for anyone. 

The advantage of using a walker is that it’s only of a piece of metal, so it’s easy to transport without thinking of where it fits. Even though I struggle with a stubborn streak, I’ve recently thought that wearing the brace I never wear anymore might be a good idea for long walks. 

          With all the realizations that I have had there is one thing that still bugs me and makes me feel yucky, why do people that use equipment to get around in life call people that do not  ” able-bodied  

I think that is one of the weirdest and meanest things that I’ve ever heard, and I was born with my condition that could be considered a disability.  I’m not someone who was injured later in life or can be regarded as newly injured. 
I would never want to be around someone who referred to me as their disabled friend or family member, nor would I ever refer to anyone of my friends as able-bodied; I think deep in my heart that is why I never wanted to do much with other people who are or were part of the community that I should be closely tired to.