An American Crip

This will probably be the most lengthy part of my site.

So what is behind the title of this website?

To be outright honest, I really do not even know. On my other pages, I have described this site as a project which could mean that it may never have an ending. This could also be said of America because that’s exactly what this country started as, a project. On the other hand, it could also mean that I work on it for a while and then set it aside for something else. I hope that the former will hold to be true but it is not something that I can predict at the moment.

The things that I do know for the moment though are as follows:

• I tend to gravitate towards those people who speak a doctrine, or to a doctrine, of self-discipline & self-improvement.
• No matter what I say here or on any other part of my site, I know that I do not lean greatly to one side or the other on the political spectrum. Anyone who knows me personally will probably tell you I am a pretty “gray” guy. I can honestly see positives and negatives to everything. The one thing that I do not attest to though is fanaticism, on any level for any reason, and I will leave it at that.
• Finally, and most importantly, I realize and fully accept that I’m not perfect in everything that I state below or anywhere else on my site.

Now, before you think that you are just going to read the average pro-ramble about the country, I will remind you that I am a minority. That should tell you that I probably have a unique perspective to share. That is also my biggest reason as to the question “Why American?”.

To restate my minority status, I am a person with a physical disability, and I detailed this here. This is not something though that I usually make a big deal out of and just so you know, if we ever meet in public, my disability will be the last item on my mind for discussion topics. One of the reasons that I am going to highlight my disability here though is because I would simply like to use this medium to leave a legacy of positivity from my unique perception. In doing this though, I am going to try my best not to make any distinct comparisons to anything because it is not my goal for this to become divisive in any way. To make the points I wish to, I will simply try to communicate what I have learned from being a citizen of the United States who has lived with a disability for virtually my entire life.

I feel for now that a bulleted list is the best way to show my thoughts but I will probably come back and elaborate on these individually from time to time. I also reserve the privilege to subtract from or add to the list. If any of these pique your interest though, check back for my updates or feel free to email me for one-on-one communication.

So, what have I learned from being a person with a disability?

• I have learned that even though it may take a little fight sometimes, people with disabilities can be offered the same qualities of life as everyone else even though it may look different on the outside at the finish.
• I have learned that proper communication is usually one of the main factors to progressing in life.
• I have learned that proper disability education requires public interaction and is another prominent factor to progressing life.
• I have learned that if you properly think of disability as an obstacle, it will bring out the fight in you. If you have a struggle, you have a purpose. A principle that our country was built on and continues to use in it’s growth today.
• I have learned that there is a fine line of depending on your gang (read Jack Donovan) and being sovereign over your life (read Ryan Michler). The strive for independence is a popular theme among those with disabilities and rightfully so. However, I think we should also be open to accepting assistance from those around us because that coalition can push us further than we think.
• I have learned that accepting your own malevolence will help you achieve the aforementioned sovereignty. (An adapted thought from Jordan Peterson). It is not a widely-held perception that people with disabilities can have any sort of malevolent side to them. Most of us are usually seen as harmless and even on a juvenile or childlike level. However, I actually tend to embrace my malevolent side quite a bit because it keeps my effort in check. I have instances where I react to a threat to my independence on a pretty aggressive level which is, I feel, a part of my malevolence coming out. So, don’t be afraid to recognize this in yourself and embrace it. It will merely help you survive.
• I have learned that developing personal meaning is essential to tolerating life. (Influenced the most by Viktor Frankl and Jordan Peterson) …and it is something that I am still developing.

But what does this have to do with being an American?
I will show the connection in corresponding bullet points:

• Americans have always fought for what we wanted. It’s almost ingrained in us to embrace the spirit of the struggle. I referred above to the country being a project and according to some sources, that is exactly what it was to our forefathers. Yes, they had a vision but would our state today look as though they were hoping? Our finish may look different than their beginning but hopefully it will still be in their parameters.
• The qualities of proper communication should be exhibited when we exercise our liberty of free speech. In my opinion, proper communication means that which is educated, properly put together and delivered at a reasonable tone to the listener. If you need a reference from one of the best, just think Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. even though to be at a level of his eloquence is quite the lofty ambition.
• I do understand that the activity of public interaction is not an easy task for some on a variety of levels. However, this blog is a prime example of the third bullet above. With today’s technology being as advanced as it is in our free society, a person with a disability has a plethora of ways to have a voice. As a matter of fact, I am typing the majority of this WITH my voice. If you have something to say, say it, with any tool available to you. If you are a person with a disability or the caretaker of one, and feel as though you need help with this, contact me and we will brainstorm if you need assistance.
• This corresponding point is just simply one of the personal adages that I have developed in my life. There is a large part of my disability that has caused me to activate the creative side of my brain in the effort to be as independent as possible on a daily basis. This is quite obvious in relation to the American way of life because throughout our history we have been known as a people of ingenuity. Whenever something is needed to be done and the ability to do it isn’t apparent, someone comes up with a way. This has always been something I have admired in those who are considered the great entrepreneurs and inventors of our country and we continue to see it every day. We should always embrace this quality that makes up our country and strive for some sort of creation every day.
• The authors that I mentioned above in the bullet point that corresponds here do not discuss this idea in terms of patriotism. However, to put it in broad terms, there are times when we might be able to think of our country as our gang. Take for instance September 11th, 2001. I don’t know about you but after I got through the initial fear of the whole day, I was ready to go join even my worst enemy in the revenge effort. Another example of this takes my mind back to our forefathers and what it must have felt like in the brotherhood that was formed to take on the British.
  But, then there are times when we need to control our emotions and simply focus on our own lives. This is when we need to be fully sovereign and try to not let outside forces control us. This could be related to a public policy of your choosing but as I said, I am trying to not be political here. The main point that I am trying to convey is that there is a specific time for certain things under heaven and that we should strive to know the balance.
• I think the term “malevolence” does not fit here properly because I do not think that our country strives to promote any type of evil in the world. However, if we can look at it as the ABILITY to be malevolent, I think it changes the context. It would certainly be my guess that the United States has more than the ability to be malevolent if we did not have morals and a series of checks and balances to keep us corrected. If we continue to know what we can do but do not do what we should not do, then we are truly sovereign.
• The two gentlemen that I reference in the corresponding point above can certainly put this idea much more eloquently than I can but when I read their books “Man’s Search For Meaning”, “Yes To Life” and “12 Rules For Life” respectively, my mind exploded with thoughts on personal meaning and what mine can be. In this section of the page though, what can it mean to America?
  That is a rather large question for one citizen to answer on his own. If I had to though, I would say that the meaning for the country is to continue exemplifying the timeless qualities to the world that I have already detailed.

• Facebook
• YouTube