My Supports

Life can truly be a roller coaster; sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down.  Luckily for me, I have emotional and practical supports filling the seats of my roller coaster.  Seating next to me is my family.  They hold my hand through the unexpected twists and turns and share my joy of feeling on top of the world as the roller coaster hits its highest peak.  My family provides an environment where I can scream, cry, or laugh without judgment or fear they will get off the ride.  Several seats are occupied by friends.  My friends may not always be right beside me, but they are close enough for me to know they are there.  I can hear them cheering me on to open up my eyes so that I don’t miss out on what’s in front of me.  My value and beliefs ensures my roller coaster is safe and receives necessary maintenance.  Without any support, my roller coaster would be unstable.  Life would be full of mistrust and confusion.

When I think about what my life would be like if I was blind, I imagine a roller coaster ride where I would depend on others to describe to me what the world looks like when you are off the ground.  I would want family and friends to provide me encouragement to take risks.  I would want society to be sensitive enough to help push me towards to success but not so insensitive that I’m not given an opportunity to succeed. 

My Connections to Play

“Play is our brains favorite way of learning”--- Diane Ackerman

“When you asked me what I did in school today and I say, 'I just played.' Please don’t misunderstand me. For you see, I am learning as I play. I am learning to enjoy and be successful in my work. Today I am a child and my work is play”--- Anita Wadley

 

 

 

Growing up, playing outside with my sister and cousins was the best time of my life.  I can clearly remember hot summer days when my grandmother would tell us to go outside and play.  There was only three reasons we could be in the house: the weather was bad, it was time take a nap, or time to eat lunch.  We didn't have a lot of money, so my grandmother would encourage us to use things around us.  From turning our grandmother's porch into a car, to designing and performing concerts, to playing kick ball in the street, we were able to freely express ourselves through play. 

 

 

Today, children aren't given the three reasons to be in the house.  Video games and apps have taking over as the free time choice of many children.  Unfortunately, parents are busy working and some view a math app as something more important because of the focus on academics; therefore, the encouragement of going outside to play isn't there. 

 

 I realize that during those times, I learned how to be a leader, be mindful of others, and think outside of the box.  All of these things have help me become who I am today.  As an adult, I sometimes wonder what my grandmother was doing while we were outside all day, but I always go back to the crazy adventures that went on and it doesn't even matter.