John W. Quinn, author of Someone Like Me and motivational speaker tells those of us with cerebral palsy to not listen to the doubters.
Hi everyone i’m john w quinn i’m the author of someone like me an unlikely story of challenge and triumph over cerebral palsy i just wanted to put out a few words of encouragement i don’t think that we hear enough encouragement within its cerebral palsy community so my i was sitting here thinking about my life and uh a lot of the things that people have told
Me in my life having experienced cerebral palsy for almost 60 years now people will often come up to me even now they’ll see me walking a little different standing a little different running differently and uh they asked the question what’s wrong with you well there’s there’s nothing wrong with me okay i was exactly as as i was made and i think that’s very
Important don’t compare yourself to anybody else you are very unique we all are very unique in this world we all have a role to play i think we all have greatness inside us when i speak i speak about inclusion inclusion is the opportunity for me as somebody with cerebral palsy to the same standard as everybody else no more love no less just give me the chance
To try that’s all anybody wants in this world is the opportunity to try i tell the example in my presentation of serving on board the first combatant ship in the navy to have women on it until 1994 women were not allowed to serve on ships that went into combat so the navy put 63 women on board the dwight eisenhower it was a big deal these women faced a lot of
Hardship a lot of pushback undeservedly so you know they they ran into the old guard as i talked about where chiefs and leadership would say well they don’t belong here well you know 25 years later women are the commanding officers they’re in charge of aircraft carriers so so that’s what inclusion is all about but you know getting back to you know the fact
That you are unique don’t don’t dismiss that okay and don’t compare yourself to anybody else you’re going to find your own way and if you’re a parent and you’re listening to this i want to tell you that your child is going to find his or her own way to get through life it might be different you know but different is okay you know if they have to use a crutch a
Wheelchair whatever they have to use to get through their life then embrace that and maybe look at whatever technology has in store for the future i i see some great things so don’t get caught up in it and if you’re if you’re a kid just keep just keep pushing forward i know it’s not easy trust me i’ve been there i know what it’s like to be picked on t slap
That bullet so keep your head up know that i’m cheering for you and uh let’s have a great day all right johnw quinn dot com check out my book it’s called someone like me when i want to join the navy and the navy looked at me said son we can’t use somebody like you that’s where i got the title of the book so let’s have a great day be well and uh all the best bye-bye
Transcribed from video
Do You Have Cerebral Palsy? Take A Minute and Listen Up – By John Quinn