Columns

Speaking seems like a simple act: You open your mouth and say words. The end. But in actuality, it involves a number of mechanics: oxygen flowing through your lungs, up your trachea, and through your larynx, creating sounds that are then shaped by the voluntary muscles of your palate,…

When I was in middle school, I became acquainted with Ponyboy, Sodapop, Johnny Cade, and the other “Greaser” boys from the pages of “The Outsiders.” Since its publication in 1967, S.E. Hinton’s seminal novel has continued to resonate with generations of teenagers and young adults from all walks…

My dad and I have a long-standing tradition of rewatching old TV series. We’ve binged everything, including “Merlin,” “Stargate SG-1,” and “Star Wars Rebels,” over the years. Right now, we’re savoring every single episode of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” for the third time. “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” premiered in 2013,…

My feeding tube became a part of my life amid a series of illnesses that required hospitalization when I was 13. I’d lost a dangerous amount of weight as my body burned through every available resource in an attempt to fight off infections. I was far…

Whenever I think about how I started driving my wheelchair at 3 years old, I always wonder, “Whose great idea was that?” I accidentally crashed into furniture. I made plenty of dents in the walls learning how to navigate my new set of wheels. I even accidentally knocked down the…

In the North Carolina mountains, spring signifies random weather: gorgeous blue skies, rain, wind, thunder, snow, and freeze warnings — sometimes all on the same day. Buds and blossoms are exploding, and the bees are happy. We noticed the annual duck visitation in the pond and spied the first…

The 2014 film “Boyhood” caught the attention of audiences and critics upon its release for its wildly experimental approach. Writer-director Richard Linklater spent 12 years making the movie, following the main character, Mason, from elementary school until he went away to college. Linklater used the same…

As humans, we so often want everything to fit into tidy little boxes with labels that clearly identify the contents. But while we may be able to draw a few parallels, life isn’t exactly like organizing a storage closet. It’s more complicated than that. That knowledge doesn’t always stop us…

Some of life’s best lessons come from the beach. Don’t you agree? Maybe it’s because I’m a solar-powered soul, but the beach is my happy place. It’s where I go when I need to recharge and clear my head. There’s something about the sound of waves crashing onto the shore…

If you regularly read what I write, you’ll know that whether you have a rare disease or not, I have similar emotions and thoughts as everyone else. Yet, the medical symptoms I experience from SMA must seem completely foreign to anyone who doesn’t live through it…