The elephant in the room of my life

Cerebral palsy is my elephant in the room; one aspect of me, one fact that permeates into my daily life whether I take the time to notice or not.

Some days I see CP as only being as important as eye color. Other days the way in which it has framed my life and my perspective on the world is undeniable. Such a frame is not always negative, other times it sticks out like a sore thumb. My elephant has grown with my insecurities and shrunk with self awareness. You can throw a sheet over it, but life is not a magic act, the elephant won’t just disappear.

In calling CP an elephant, I do not mean this as a source of shame. To use the expression "the elephant in the room," implies that there is something noticeable or obvious that no one wants to talk about. For me this does not automatically denote the idea of shame. The limitations and advantages that come with being born with CP require adaptation to circumstances and environment. CP is not a major part of my identity but a major part of my existence.

In this blog, I’m setting out to discuss my elephant; what people see as obvious, and the assumptions they make. More importantly, I will lend you a window into the insights of my life. The truth that reaches far beyond the sometimes wild judgments strangers make without knowing me, only stopping with queries such as, “What happened to you?”