The Artist Way

For years people have been saying I need to find an easier way to create my art. As I get older they think my body is going to give out from sitting on the floor in the W position and always using my neck to paint and draw. It is almost impossible to find a dress shirt that fit, because my neck is so muscly.

Being a true artist and pushing myself the next step with my medium by using my hands, I have gone the opposite way. By using my hands to draw, it puts my whole body in motion. I call it the “perfect chaos”, because it is controlling the uncontrollable.  When I first started to drawing with my hands it was so frustrated, that most people would have asked why and just give up. I know it would be worth the struggle and just another challenge for myself.

So why do it, if it causes me pain mentally and physically? I enjoy the process and the results; I enjoy the ability of work the chalk on the surface and building layers as I blind them together, or push and pull them apart. For me, everyone can see each mark that it take to create the peace that come out of a fire storm of activity.

New drawings

What is so Special About Being Normal Anyway?

To be honest I forget the last time I wanted to be "normal", but when I was young I did. As I grew older, I realized that this is an idea that is set by the majority that thinks it is better then most people.  Why would one want to be part of a group  that takes aways your personality, your identity? I like standing of from the crowd, how are you going to make a different in this crazy world and leave your mark? Not to say, you should total go against the grain. If you go to for over the line, people will not take you seriously. I forget the last time I used the word "normal" in a conversation, because that world puts limitations on what you can accomplish in life.

A few years ago, I went to a planning meeting for a friend as an advocate and some how the word "normal" started to be use in reference to "normal" behavior on the web. I started to think, here I am in a room with people that spend their life in the disabled community and they were using this word as if this is how it should be and there are no exceptions. I mean what the hell is "normal" in the life of a person with a disability? My goal in life is to be accepted, not to fit into the idea of what somebody calls "normal".

As long as my way of life is safe and healthy, I do not care about what is seen as "normal".  This is only another perception that leads me to the conclusion that being disabled needs to be thought more as a life style. The fact is that no matter what I do, my life will not be "normal". My fight in life is to be accepted for who I am.

R-word VS. Rword

Just watching @AroundTheHorn on ESPN, they were talk about the problem with the name of the DC football team. So a couple people called it the #Rword. I hope people do not start relating the #Rword with the #NFL and really realize how derogatory it really is to the disabled!

I am not saying the disability movement has exclusive rights to the R-word. Even if someone has  the copy right for a word does not mean they own every meaning of that word. Words are the only weapon that truly has an unlimited amount of ammunition. I am saying if the R-word is used for multiple meaning it will become trivialized and is not that why there is a R-word in the first place?

My Reaction to: Don't Hate The Cure, Hate the Haters! @theseed9811

 I think it comes down to the quality of life. Some parents might want their children to have the same changes in life as they did and this can not be achieved while their child is disabled. I have been asked many time about the "Magic Pill" of I have always said hell no! I have three degree, live life as an Artist, have lovely wife and daughter. Not to say I been to the Oscar's and get to travel all over sharing my story. How many other able body people get to do that?

I do get nervous and sad when I about parents putting their kids through a experimental surgery, or treatment when it causes them pain and time from living life. For example, when I at Ridge school there were kids that missed school months at a time due to surgery to have there hamstrings cut. In order to have their legs be able to stand flat footed and most of the time it did not work. So was it worth them missing out on school and the social aspect for this surgery.

in recent years people have been doing experimental treatment with Botox. Lets think about this, they putting poison into one's body to relax/tighten muscles. None of this is permanent, so every few months you need another shot.

Why not use the same time, energy and funds to make their environment more accessible for their lives? To me that would seem more beneficial and for all. I just all of the money being spent on "Medicine" When it could use for long lasting accessibility!

http://theseed9811.blogspot.com/2013/08/dont-hate-cure-hate-haters.html

Disability Population In U.S. and The World Pt. 2

The reason why I got the urge to search out the disabilities population information.  It is just frustrating to see one disability getting more attention then others. Maybe Autism is getting the spot light because of the Sandy Hook shooting, but more likely that Jenny McCarthy and her son got a lot of media coverage.  Also that some people think that Autism is cause by vaccination shots and could be preventable. I think that is cool, the more people that talk about Autism bring more awareness  and hopefully that turns into more acceptance of all disabilities.
When comparing Autism to CP, people see Commercials for lawyers to sue doctors. CP was due to a medical mistake so let sue them, because it takes a lot of money to take of someone CP.

Disability Population In U.S. and The World

I have been meaning looking up the break down of the disabled population since Autism is about the only one you really hear people taking about.

Here is one link, but not really want I was looking for: Facts About Disability in the U.S. Population.

When I was reading this one, I got a bit offended. I do realize that they are generalizing, but not everyone that is disabled comes from low educated and from low income areas: World Facts and Statistics on Disabilities and Disability Issues.

When it comes down to it, I think people do not know what they are taking about when keeping tract of the  disabled population. I found it too general and a lot of the language is offensive.  For example,  Jonathan's 40% Rule: Hearing Impairment is like alcohol and drug abuse--there's tremendous denial. Source Maybe for people who are growing older, but I do not think that statement would go over well at Gallaudet U. or in the deaf community.

I think its hysterical that the CDC keeps stats on "Cerebral Palsy Occurrence in the US", maybe this why people still think of CP  as a decease and an illness. Also notes that Autism and Developmental Disabilities are included in these statistics. Is the CDC just counting people with combined disabilities, or just grouping everything together? If the CDC keeps tract of "Cerebral Palsy Occurrence", does this mean we could of a CP apocalypse and take over the world?

So this  makes me wonder how each organization comes up with statistics? I would also like  to ask how the organizations defining a disability and what is a person has multiple disabilities?

When People Live on Mars

On Saturday Dena and I took a drive to Potomac Park, so Miss. Julia could visit with some family. During this time Dena and I went for a cup of coffee. On our way back, I said these are the types of places that the disable should be live in.

As Dena said it is a community within and community. Everything is in walking distance, if someone wanted to get out of the house they can walk around the corner and get a bite to eat, a little shopping. They also had a market, if something ran out at home the person could just walk, or wheel to pick the item up.

The reality is that these types of community are way too expensive and if units were built to be accessible. Most likely that would drive the price up even more. Just maybe it would become affordable when people move to Mars.