Word Banks: Breaking The Block
In the book, The Practicing Poet, by Sandy Longhorn discusses the importance of word banks.
Longhorn is a celebrated poet. Her 2006 book, Blood Almanac, won the Anhinga Prize for Poetry. Longhorn uses word banks to overcome those times she finds herself “stymied.”
How COVID-19 Has & Hasn’t — Changed My Life With Cerebral Palsy
March 15, 2020 was the last time I left my house. My husband and I attended church services that morning, unaware that everything would change the next day. That was the day the coronavirus social distancing began and has now escalated to complete social isolation. We cannot be in a group outside of the ones we live with. That leaves me, my husband, and our cat.
Why Aging With Cerebral Palsy Is a Journey Into the Unknown
As 2018 dawned, I embraced the New Year with excitement and anticipation. I worked hard at my business, my marriage and mitigating the effects of aging with cerebral palsy. I battled against the chronic fatigue, chronic severe pain and brain fog. Even with all that, I remained as active as possible, walking with my four-wheeled walker and exercising on my stationery recumbent bike.
How the Movie ‘My Left Foot’ Enabled Me to Dream Again
The movie “My Left Foot,” based on the life of Christy Brown, arrived in theatres in 1989. Even though I watched it long after, I still remember the profound impact it made upon my soul and entire being.
The Challenges of Middle Age With Cerebral Palsy and Hypersensitivity
It is hard to believe I am now 49 and staring at my 50th birthday approaching March 14, 2018. How did this happen? Yet I feel every one of those almost 50 years in ways many do not. Most days this physical body feels more like it’s 90 years old rather than 49.
The Invisible Dance of Chronic Fatigue and Cerebral Palsy
Growing up with spastic cerebral palsy, I was unaware that I used more energy than others to do the simplest tasks. I didn’t know any different. To me, it was perfectly normal.
I Am a Woman With a Disability and I Am Happily Married
Growing up, I was like any other little girl who dreamed of being married one day. But if I said it out loud, the adults around me quickly hushed me. The reason? I had been diagnosed at age 2 with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, and I soon came to understand this was not a dream I was allowed to have.
How I Cope With Chronic Pain and Aging With Cerebral Palsy
I am 49 years old and have lived with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy since birth. As a child, I remember the surgeries, casts, intensive physiotherapy and other interventions to make sure I “achieved my highest potential.” It was hard, but it was something to strive for and it sounded so good and so right at the time.
Heather Hancock - Author, Editor, Ghostwriter 