Monday, July 09, 2012

Today is my Birthday

Today is my birthday. I am forty-four years old. Despite Duchenne muscular dystrophy, I have made it another year. I am lucky to have come this far. Many people with DMD have not made it past their teens or twenties. When I was first diagnosed at six, the doctors expected me to die in my teens. I have proven them wrong again and again.

I refuse to give up on life, no matter how hard it gets. The negatives of living with DMD, which can be so dishearting and frustrating, are overweighed by the good things in life. A bad day when you are so frustrated that you feel like giving it all up can be remedied by the sunshine on my skin, the sight of a colorful bird at the feeder, the beautiful melody of singing birds, a sublime sunset, friends and family, my cat curled up at my feet. The simple things in life make it all worthwhile.

I don't consider myself to be a hero or an inspiration. I am just a person, trying his hardest to make it through the adversities of life and enjoy the ride at the same time. We all have our challenges, whether small or great to deal with. Mine may be larger than most, yet I don't think I would appreciate life so much if everything was rainbows and blue birds. There have to be thorns in life too.

As James Taylor sang, "The secret to life is enjoying the passage of time." As I get older, I realize the truth in this profound statement. Since we can not stop the inevitable passage of time, we should enjoy life to the best of our abilities. Each day I wake up, despite the hardships, is a celebration of life. You have to make the best of this short sojourn on Earth.

Next year at my forty-fifth birthday, I will be celebrating another victory over DMD and finding ways to enjoy life. I fight on in the memory of all those who have lost out to DMD, many of them far too young.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Where has my muse gone?

In January I wrote that I wanted to be more prolific in my blog writing. In 2011, I only wrote four blog posts. Since January I have written nothing on my blog. It is as if my writing muse has abandoned me. My urge to write is strong, yet when I go to write a blog post, the words don't come out. The blinking cursor is all that I see. It seems as if my creative well has run dry. This drought must end. The creative well has to flow again.

What is holding me back? I have searched my self, but no answers are forthcoming. It could be that the old nemesis, apathy has taken hold, or that I have nothing to say. It could even be a severe case of writer's block. But, whatever it is that is holding me back, I must push it out of the way and just write. Now, if I could just come up with something to write about.

I need ideas. Do any of you reading this have any suggestions? If so, I would appreciate your input. I hope this post is just the start of many more.

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Happy New Year!



Happy New Year everybody! It has hard to believe that 2011 has come and gone. 2012 arrived in such a flash. Time seems to go faster and faster, the older I get.

It will be a year of new possibilities. A year to do some of the things I didn't do last year. I will not do a summary of the past year. It is over and it is time to move on. This is part of my resolve to live in the now, and not dwell on the past and future. I will live day by day and not worry about things I can't change (easier said than done). Despite Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, I am still here to see yet another year (In July I will be 44). For this I am thankful. Because of this gift, I must enjoy life to the best of my abilities. I will try not to sweat the little things. This year I hope to get even more active in disability advocacy and speak more clearly for those without a voice. With challenges to independent living for people with disabilities there is much work to be done. I may even take it to the street.  I neglected my blog last year, but this year I plan to be more prolific. Now it is time to embrace 2012. Bring it on! I am up to whatever the year throws at me. Just hope I hit more home runs than strike outs.