Well, I just turned 49 the other day so I suppose that makes me a little older than some of you and maybe not as old as some others.  I would say I can understand where Brent is coming from. I don't "define" myself as a disabled person anymore than I "define" myself as a male, white, single, Incredibly attractive, (how did that get in there?). I do think that my disability is a part of me though.  It always has been and always will be a part of who and what I am. If I am quick to accept the "magic pill" that makes me AB does that mean I am rejecting a part of who I am? I suppose it all is a matter of how you look at things. I always say that every experience has a value.  That doesn't mean that an experience might not be horrible to go through but I thinks our experiences teach us things in ways that only experience can.
I probably think about this more than some do because I am the only employee with a signigiicant visable disability in a large agency serving people with disabilities.
I seem to have written more than I thought I would so I will close for now lest I get my lurker status revoked.

kat <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Also wanted to say it's all very easy to see yourself as empowered and
embracing your disablity when you're younger and full of energy, etc., but
when you get older and it hurts more, well, if you see yourself as disbled
first my take is that you'll feel even more so.

Sorry, I'm not making sense. I had a very long day and I am handling more
analytical work in my new job. I love it but they're sure piling it on me.


Kat

On Wednesday 22 October 2003 10:09 pm, you wrote:
> well, yes, all of us would take a cure if it were
> avaible, but, cp is a injury not a virus, bacteria, or
> even an infection.
> there is not even a blip on the screen in the way of
> a cure. if they can get the brain to regenerate itself
> from the injury, then with theropy. of course it would
> help stroke victims, accident victims, etc. just as
> much as cp. right now a cure for this is science
> fiction. next best thing though is to accept it and do
> the best you can. once you do the best you can, then
> you can be proud of yourself. that is not science
> fiction.
>
> --- kat wrote:
> > You know, I had the same reaction he did when I saw
> > your one-lineer.
> >
> > Yes, it's good to accept yourself as disabled.
> >
> > However, I see myself as a person and a woman first,
> > not disabled first. Yeah
> > it's a part of who I am but it's not what I am. I
> > refuse to let it define
> > me. and I refuse to let others define me as such.
> >
> > Kat
> >
> > On Wednesday 22 October 2003 09:53 pm, you wrote:
> > > Why not Brent? I would choose to remain disabled.
> >
> > It's part of the
> >
> > > diversity of life. Ablism demands we all sound the
> >
> > same, act the same,
> >
> > > and get around the same I had my eyes opened by
> >
> > reading advocacy books..
> >
> > > Brent Edwards wrote:
> > > >Karin DiNardi wrote:
> > > >>We don't want a cure, be proud of who you are!
> > > >
> > > >Ummm...
> > > >
> > > >I may be misunderstanding you. Actually I hope I
> >
> > am. Of course CP is not a
> >
> > > >"disease" so there will never be a "cure", but
> >
> > you mean that if somehow
> >
> > > > you _could_ become AB, you would choose to
> >
> > remain disabled??
> >
> > > >I accepted who I am and what my limitations are
> >
> > long ago, but to say "we
> >
> > > >don't want a cure" has got to be one of the
> >
> > silliest statements I've ever
> >
> > > >seen made here.
> > > >
> > > >Brent Edwards
>
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"I live in my own little world, but it's OK, they know me here."