Tag: #bloguary

advocacy, Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

The Causes I’m Passionate about

Telling people what Jesus has done in my life

I’m passionate about telling people about Jesus and what he has done in my life because he is why I am still alive. Even before I accepted him as my Lord and Savior, he was at work in my life, and he is still working on me today.

Getting people to stop using the words Disabled, Disability, and able-bodied

I have had a back and forth, up and down relationship with how I view myself and my cerebral palsy. I will admit that I started calling myself differently-abled when I came home from a week in Sacramento after graduating from high school. I was chosen to attend the governor’s committee of people with disabilities. One of the first nights there, we were shown a documentary that chronicled the history of how people with disabilities were viewed and talked about. The documentary said that the proper way to speak about a person with a disability was differently-abled.

Now that I am older and I am healing more every day from what people around me, honestly, primarily strangers, thought I should be. I have chosen not to use the words disabled, differently-abled, or disability as it relates to me personally. I have decided to say I use a walker or a wheelchair because I don’t see those things as part of my identity. They are equipment, and I am someone who uses them for assistance.

I am proud to be associated with people who use the term disabled community. Still, the reason why I do not like these terms is that they go against the things that these amazing people stand for. The word disabled means not able, yet I know tons of people who are kicking butt in life, so yes, they are able! And if you think of the word differently-abled, Everyone in the world is differently-abled because we were all created unique, not one of us is the same.

Furthermore, the word able-bodied is one of the most heartless words I have ever heard. I believe that it implies that people who are not equipment users or that are viewed as living without struggle are somehow better than those who use assistance and have to do things in life at a different pace

If I am asked, I will tell you that my name is Marie, and I have cerebral palsy, and I would be happy to give you a short explanation of what it is if you wanted me to

I am not Disabled

Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

The Day that Changed my life: My testimony

I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior in 1995; I was in JR. High School. The day that I accepted Christ started as a horrible day. It was only ten a.m., and I felt like I had enough! I had been teased by a girl who was in my first three classes, and at nutrition, I went to the nurse’s office in tears, and I told the ladies in the office that I wanted to call my mom and go home. They allowed me to call my mom because they thought I was sick. I called my mom.and said I wanted to go home. She asked me what was going on, and through my tears, I told her everything that had happened. She acknowledged by saying

Just pray!

Eventually, I hung up and went to the back room where the cots were. That is where I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into my life. Life didn’t get easier after that, but I knew that I would never go through life alone again.

You can accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior too. All you have to do is tell Jesus in a simple conversation that you believe that he died on the cross to take away your Sin and that you don’t want to do life alone anymore. Like I said before, this life will not be easier, but it will be worth it, because you won’t be alone.

Listen Now

Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Blossom

I have been a fan of Mayim Bialik since I was nine! Seeing the first episode of Call Me Kat season two brought back a lot of memories.

When I was eleven years old, my physical therapist was a young actor who often had auditions at Sunset Gower Studios, where Blossom was filmed. While I was doing my leg exercises, he told me to continue independently while he made a phone call. After therapy, I found out that he had called someone who worked on my favorite T. V. Show! He had made arrangements for me to go to a taping.

That day was the most exciting day of my life! The front entrance to the studio was not accessible, so when we were trying to find our way around, we ran into one of the producers of the show, who took us to the entrance that the actors of the show use. At this point, my brain is about to explode! We entered the studio through the backstage makeup area.

The area where the studio audience was seated was not accessible, so my family and I were allowed to sit closer to the stage than anyone else.

During the show, Mayim came over to me, introduced herself, and hugged me. I also was lucky enough to meet David Lascher, who played Blossom’s boyfriend, Vinnie. He was very sweet, and he blew my mind because he held my hand!!

I also vividly remember seeing Joey Lawrence up close a few times, but I was too nervous about getting his attention because the first row of the audience was a row of screaming teenage girls. I can still hear them screaming

How old are you?!!

And Joey answering back

I’m eighteen!

And after that, more none stop. screaming

After the show, we exited the room the way we entered. I was able to talk to Mayim and David, and they both autographed photos for me.

David signed a cast photo and wrote:

To Marie, All my Love David

And Mayim signed a solo headshot that said

To Marie Thanks for visiting Love Mayim

I also remember that before I walked out. The door, I left my phone number and address with Mayim, and I asked her to give it to Joey. I never got anything from him, but that day was one of the best days ever!

Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Challenges I have faced and overcome

I have been facing and overcoming challenges my whole life.  Most of the challenges have been medical such as having to have an operation and facing the pain of recovery.  I feel like I have also experienced God’s love and grace through all of these events in my life.

Another type of challenge that I have faced surrounded my education.  When I entered junior high school, the adults who attended my IEP (individualized Education Plan) automatically assumed that I would finish high school at 22.  I finished high school at 18  as I was supposed to. 

As I went through college, I faced many challenges along the way.  Most of these challenges were educational.  College was the first time I experienced general education classes.  

After college, I became a fan of

Live Big with Ali Vincent

I started following Ali on Facebook, and I met her at Grand Park in Downtown Los Angeles. Shortly after meeting Ali, I wrote a letter to her and her team to apply to be on her show, and I was accepted!!

While I was a cast member of the show, I spent a year training for, then completing a 5K in Ontario, California. It took my friends and I four hours and forty-eight minutes to cross the finish line

I do not doubt that life will bring more challenges, but I do know that I have God and an amazing support system on my side.