Content warning: The following contains discussions of ableism and eugenics. I knew from the dedication that “Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century” would be healing. “To my younger self,” writes editor Alice Wong, “and all the disabled kids today who can’t imagine their futures. The world is…
On my writing desk sits a narwhal. Not an actual narwhal from arctic waters. That would be absurd. It’s a stout piece of pottery I painted alongside my niece last winter. We sat together at a creative clay studio, sharing paintbrush swirls and rainbow palettes and giggles.
In the beginning of the COVID-19 chaos, I tried to stay informed of updated health-related warnings and recommendations. I soon waved the proverbial white flag to ward off permanent whiplash from keeping abreast of the ever-changing information. During this pandemic pandemonium, my current primary daily duty is…
Our daughter with SMA, Ella, had a doctor’s appointment with her pulmonologist recently. Her grandparents took her to the appointment because my wife, Lindsay, and I were working. Ella and her grandparents started their day early and returned by mid-afternoon. During the day, we received a…
Every morning when I wake up, I feel like my nose took a beating the night before. Grogginess is one thing, but when you factor in a BiPAP machine, it adds an extra layer of discomfort. As soon as I awake, I can’t…
The romantic in me wants to believe that dreams are portents, or windows to the psyche, or invaluable self-knowledge tools. But the therapist in me, who dabbled in clinical psychology for a time, is suspicious of anything resembling psychoanalysis. (I despise Sigmund Freud, but that’s a topic for another day.)…
I have never been a morning person. My family, friends, co-workers, and pretty much anyone that has ever met me can tell you this is true. But on rare occasions, I’ll wake up quickly without wishing for just a few more moments of sleep. Last week was one such occasion.
I admit that this column’s title is one I never thought I’d write. But alas, it is 2020, and most of this year has been a series of “never thought I’d ever” moments. So, for the sake of what’s on my heart today, I’ll accept how unconventional the title is…
Our daughter Ella, who is 10, recently enjoyed the last few days of summer before school started again. During the last of her free time, she played outside, used her iPad, and chatted with friends. She watched TV and stayed up late. And she slept in and played…
Within the pages of the Marvel universe, one of the most iconic superhero teams is the “Uncanny X-Men.” There’s Cyclops with his optic blasts of energy, Marvel Girl with her telepathic and telekinetic abilities, Wolverine with his regenerative healing abilities and…
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