In Control Of My Uncontrollable Body - Life With Cerebral Palsy

     Have you ever caught yourself asking that?  At your desk with a pile of bills in front of you?  At the kitchen table as you notice your plate is almost empty, but you know you can eat a little more?   At the grocery store when your cart is overflowing with unnecessary items?  In your car as you're pushing the speed limit hoping no police are around?   At a gas station while you watch your money you worked hard for is quickly slipping away?      So, how much is too much?  We seem to be asking that question more and more.  We are all stressed out and tired and just want to go home, lay back in our favorite chair and do what we love.  Maybe it's catching up on your TV show, watching movies, surfing the web, drawing, reading, knitting, writing, or just taking a nap.   We go to work or school all day and would just want to relax but we might have to run the kids around, do some errands, ...

    If you're disabled, the title tells it all.  Have you ever been stared at for periods of time?  Have you been called a "freak" behind your back?   Have you ever thought you were the center of attention, in a bad way?  When children ask, "what happen to him/her?"  Do the parent just take their arms and walk away as you can hear nothing but false they tell their kids?  I'm guessing you have experienced many, many of these situations, way too often.     Kids are very curious and want to know more about something that intrigues them.  A wheelchair isn't what you see on a regular basis, none the less a power wheelchair moving by itself...?  Kids and people are very confused when they see me.  They stare and look the chair over until they figure out how I operate my chair, and yet some just ignore me as much as they can.  Some responses are different then others and everyone has their own opinion.  I use...

    It was an ordinary, hot, summer day.  School was out, our pool was open, took four-wheeler rides at night, grilled burgers, laid in the hammock for hours on end, practiced soccer in the barn, roosted hot dogs and marshmallows on the bond fire, and walked my dog every evening.  These are what my summers are like; close to perfect, I would have to say yes!  Today, God put life in perspective as near tragedy struck.      At the time, I had a Black Labrador named A.J.  We found him in the newspaper in the animal shelter section.  We went up to town to see him and all seven of his brothers and sisters.  I remember going inside and they all ran away to the far corner.  They were terrified of my power chair.  They were about nine weeks old and pretty good sized, very adorable, and chubby!  As the lady talked and told us more about them and how they were found in a trash can, I kept looking at their a...