The Facts of Life

Greetings!

Crippie literally just spent a good 10 minutes reminiscing about the days when she would watch "The Facts of Life" on Nick at Nite. I was always partial to Jo and I never cared for Blair... and can Crippie get an amen for a young George Clooney <3
Crippie is reliving her old Nick at Nite watching days because the HAWMC blog prompt told her to... sorta. Today's prompt is... Learned the Hard Way. What’s a lesson you learned the hard way? Write about it for 15 today. Once I got the prompt I started singing The Facts of Life theme song (which I remember in it's entirety) and it just went downhill from there ;)
Okies, *starts clock* Crippie learned long, long ago that one must always listen to and respect their elders. Random lesson but a true one. How did Crippie learn this little nugget of wisdom? Well, after my first surgery I acquired a fair amount of painful nerve damage. My doctor made me go to physical therapy. At first Crippie did not listen to her therapists and refused to move her leg because it hurt like a mofo. Those who have experience with not moving a limb for a while know that if you don't use it you lose it, and that's what happened to me. I had muscle atrophy because I refused to listen to my therapists. Eventually my therapists told me to cut the crap and do my damn exercises or else I'd never walk again. Crippie was a good girl and did her exercises after that awakening. After I started to see progress I realized I should probably just shut up and trust that the experts know what they are doing. Crippie learned that if you don't do what smarter people tell you to do... you will suffer the consequences. 
Since Crippie was 10 when she learned this valuable lesson she's been able to put it to practice for over a dozen years and I've definitely seen good results compared to other people. Crippie rarely, if ever, had arguments with her parents... because I know that even if I disagree with something that they always have my best interests in mind. So while must teenagers are like "ommmgggg my mom won't let me have a car, I hate her" Crippie was like "my mom wants me to have a lot of road experience before I get a car because she doesn't want me to die". While most teenagers and college students hate their teachers with a passion, Crippie always listened to them and tried to learn as much as she could from them. Even if I didn't care for some of their personalities I acknowledged that they know more than I do and ultimately they are right. Most of Crippie's teachers were impressed with my ability to behave and follow rules. At work I trust that my superiors know what they are doing and I follow their instructions. I'm actually building a solid reputation as the "good" designer at work!
There are people who think this trait is weakness, but those who do not listen to their superiors will only have to learn more things the hard way.

Crippie's Tippie to Teenagers - Chances are your parents are not idiots. Please tell me how your 13 years on the planet have taught you more than your parents 40 some odd years? They love you and are looking out for your best interests.

Disability & The School System

Salutations!

"What challenges does disability bring to the school situation?' That question pops up quite often. Having a disability can prove very challenging for many reasons. For the time being let's discuss K-12 because college is a whole different story.

Elementary School- Thankfully I wasn't terribly sick during elementary school, people didn't know I was disabled until 4th grade when I started getting worse. The main problem I had in elementary school was gym. I HATE GYM. Obviously, due to my crippledness I could barely do anything in gym. My family had to go to the school and ask the teacher to modify my gym activities. It was a small school so the teacher listened. The kid's usually pretty nice to me, except in gym. People used to laugh at me because I always was last. CRIPPIE'S TIPPIE- This is the point where you start having to advocate for your needs. If you don't bring the issue to the school's mind they are not going to notice. Parents, at this point teachers might start thinking you are a crazy whining parent (sorry about that) but you are the one who knows your child best and you are right. Also if you child is visibly disabled, perhaps go talk to their classmates to help them understand why your kid is different. 

Middle School/ Junior High- I was very sick during middle school. Due to my disability I was home schooled for most of my middle school years. The school was bigger and thus it became harder for me to get aid. I had to have a 504 (official plan of care) and meetings with the heads of the school to make sure I got what aid I needed. The aid I needed was a tutor, modified schedule, no gym, extended test time, and an aid to get from class to class in a wheelchair. There were times when we had to put up a big fight in order to get what was needed. The kids in middle school were acted rather nasty towards me. They ignored me, teased me, and tried to trip me on occasion. CRIPPIE'S TIPPIE- The bigger the school, the harder you have to fight. And again parents, at this point the people at the school will think you are insane and annoying. Too bad for the school. Again, you are right.

High School- I wasn't terribly sick during high school, but I still had my health issues. I had the 504 in order to get the modifications I needed and it almost always worked out rather well. I actually worked out my schedule so I could leave early. The kids weren't as stupid as they were in middle school, but there are always idiots that think it's okay to tease cripples (BTW, don't tease cripples, we have enough emotional baggage from being crippled). CRIPPIE'S TIPPIE- This is the point where the cripple has to start speaking for themselves when possible. Partly because the school system probably hates your parents by now, and partly because your parents won't be there when college comes around.