Yes, I am greedy

What have I learned from the community? This may take awhile.

When I found Disaboom I liked it, even posted a blog post, but didn't do much else. That was back in October when I was in the middle of a semester and thinking about other things. It had been two and half years since this crazy journey had officially started and I was still in denial. I started checking out the chatroom and discovered two people who shared my wicked sense of humor and we had fun making fun of each other's disabilities. hey, I need to email Verigoth and taunt him about my ability to walk. Muwahaha! 

Anyway... after getting a bit more involved on the forums I slowly started to realize that this was the community in which I belonged. Not necessarily on Disaboom (though I love the website and the people who populate it), but the disability community. I gave up pretending I was still "normal" and found that the acknowledgement was an enormous relief.

It would be impossible to explain the feeling of going from having something in the back of my mind that was holding me back from moving forward to having a clear path. It sounds odd to say that acknowledging a limitation cleared the road of obstacles; it seems contradictory. The fact is, without looking forward with a realistic understanding of the way to hobble down that path there is no way to even make a start. 

I strongly believe that it was reading the differing stories and opinions on Disaboom that helped me recognize and accept my disability and how it limits and sets me free. I feel a kinship with people here and no longer view my limitations as weakness. I was able to acknowledge my need for a crutch and to glimpse understanding of what it means to have lived an entire life with a disability. Honestly, that is our last frontier as a community and the one holding us back the most. That, and the disconnection between "walkies" and "wheelies." I am lucky to have found Disaboom at a time when I was ready for it and needed it.  

One other thing I've learned: when you have a dog who has dementia, make sure she is locked in the bedroom with you when the Roomba is running. It was gross and you do NOT want to know.

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