I binge-watched Ryan O’Connell’s Special on Netflix and it resonated with me so much I wrote an essay about it for The Mighty.com, a social media platform for people with disabilities and their caretakers.
I’ve been so stressed out at work I didn’t notice they published it two weeks ago and that it was also republished on Yahoo News: My piece on Yahoo News
Today was a not a good day, but with my normal pluck and good attitude I tried. Sadly, I left work feeling like a disappointment and a failure. But I had a nice supper with a friend and my daughter.
My daughter replaced my chipped phone screen protector so I’ll no longer get bits of glass in my fingers. I have a Bodygardz protector so I ordered a replacement. I can get 1 per year at $8.
We went to the store for bagels and cream cheese and there wasn’t a bagel anywhere in the store.
The teenager and I went to the gym. I fell in the parking lot, smashed my elbow and, if you hadn’t guessed it, chipped my new phone case and screen protector.
I didn’t work out at the gym. Just cried in the locker room and came home.
Because the stress of my job, coupled with the stress of running the household by myself for the last seven months, is taking a toll. My cerebral palsy is “getting worse.”
My mind is strong, but my body is breaking.
Angel Ackerman 
Terrific article. I’m super impressed. Your mom’s approach to your disability was interesting, and I’m thinking might have been beneficial in some ways? But the elephant in the room aspect of it kind of sucks. I imagine it would have been helpful to have some conversations that helped you frame it – but what do I know?
I’m with your friend Nancy, it would be wonderful if you wrote more about your experience.
I’m so sorry you fell, chipped your phone case and protector. Fuck.
And I want to have a whole long conversation about stuff, but probably not here and now, right? Sigh. 💜🌹💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
My mother and my father made my disability invisible at home and it wasn’t until I learned to read other people’s reactions that I knew it existed.
I still forget. And for the most part I am grateful but then I also don’t understand my own condition. What I do know I’ve pieced together from various medical professionals who have learned and observed things about my body that I didn’t notice or have the anatomical knowledge to understand.
I always mean to discuss it with my primary care doctor — he’s had me in physical therapy for walking and balance, and consulting with a podiatrist. (The PT was interesting, they watched me walk and critiqued me. I had walking lessons at age 35+.)
But I want to know more. I just don’t know who or what to ask.
Please feel free to get it touch to have more conversations. I’m a pretty easy person to track down.
I thought I might have seen you on LinkedIn— and if I’m wrong about that I apologize. But I thought someone with your type of skill set looked at my profile.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course that was smart – to “make your disability invisible at home.” At least, I think it mostly was? Not to say that I actually have any standing to weigh in on it, so there’s that.
I bet it was interesting, having walking lessons at 35. And it interests me to think that you want to know more but aren’t sure who or what to ask.
And you definitely did see me on LinkedIn. Which was, um, kind of intrusive and inappropriate and I felt guilty before and after I did it. But my curiosity is pretty insatiable. AND – for whatever reason, I figured that you’d figure it was me. So there’s that. And yes, I will reach out to you in the realm of the vanilla folk. (Hahahahaha)
LikeLike
Well go make it creepier— the LinkedIn thing— I thought you were very pretty and I was hoping it was you. Let’s connect!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol, thank you very much and yes!! Absolutely.
LikeLike
(I was a newspaper reporter for 15 years, I respect someone who knows their way around sources)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol, and I always really wanted to be Nancy Drew, so I’ve practiced!
LikeLiked by 1 person