Dude Named Todd
Whenever I do research for this blog on disability issues, so much of the advertising is for how to apply for disability (I live in the USA). This is not the positive image I'm looking for. There seems to be only two types of stories on line about people with disabilities; "oh, what difficultly he or she had to overcome" to to become super successful (lots of good athlete stories) or "Jesus, being disabled sucks"; sub-standard housing, discrimination, poor education outcomes, terrible unemployment numbers and tons of stories on handicapped parking abuses. The world would be a much better place if handicapped parking was the biggest issue disabled people had to deal with. There is little middle ground here. When is the last time you saw a flick with a disabled character and his or her role had nothing to do with the disability? We are usually type casted into being the "hero" (Helen Keller) or bitter "super-villain." (Ernst Stavro Blofeld from 007). Where is the average schmo who happens to have a disability of some sort? Not everyone has to be a "hero." I hope to inspire others by simply being "normal," not heroic. We need to normalize so called disability and while we're at it, rethinking the terminology may not be a bad idea either.
 |
| Thu and Fatmonkey |
People I come into contact with often see me as simply a family member, co-worker, friend and husband. I'll pass on being a "hero"- the most overused word in the English Language. Yeah, I do cool stuff and try to be a good guy but ya know what? My farts are pretty smelly! We all do both things we are proud of as well as things we are ashamed of. I see this as just a part of the human condition. The notion of humanity as a fallen creature is a part of the cultural baggage I'm issued here in the west. Sadly, disabled people are all too often seen as further fallen (see the post below). Now, Todd C., a guy I know in a wheel chair, does not self-identify as a person with a disability. He just is... Todd. Most anyone would consider him successful in life, but he's not a rock star (not yet). I think both of us turn a supposed weakness into a strength. Todd uses his experience for his business T+ (one of several). Just an aside, disabled people often start their own businesses. Who's going to know more about what you can do than you? Seriously. Check it out. Look here too. My handicap gives me lots of stuff to write about both directly and indirectly. This blog entry is about issues while other entries come from daydreaming. While others are playing football and basketball, I'm listening to music as my mind wonders through "The Utopia," unmarked graves, asylums and hangs out with "Kill Team Kilo." They come later. Ho do we normalize disability?
 |
| Home of "The Utopia" & "The Phoebe Sofia" |
I think it will come all in good time through education and mainstreaming young people with disabilities. I and Todd both are products of public education. Going to school with so-called normal people did not kill either of us. In my experience, it never took long for me to melt into the student body becoming just another face in the hall. I never felt I was a part of a highly discriminated against minority group. I found that out the hard way later in life the hard way when I started looking for a job. That story is somewhere on this blog also. If I said I did not get discouraged, I'd be bull-shitting you. Getting that first "real" job was a nightmare! "Well shit, I can just volunteer somewhere." I remember thinking more than once. I found something the same way most people do; through a friend of a friend. There too, I was able to soon blend in. For me, education WAS the key. One of the guys that hired me told me my degree got me the job. If I could go through the BS called college, I could do the work they wanted me to. Getting a good education is the shit. In fact, keep on learning.
 |
| Me and Dr. Johan Galtung the Father of Peace Studies |
No comments:
Post a Comment