Living with Cerebral Palsy

Okay, dear readers, I need your help.

As a person living with cerebral palsy, I often had to live life vicariously. I would watch other people and imagine doing that myself. My imagination definitely got me through some potentially difficult times, when I could have really felt left out.

But, my imagination is failing me the last few days, and I could definitely use some inspiration.

So, I thought maybe you were like me. If you couldn’t do something living with cerebral palsy, you cultivated your imagination instead.

Here is my dilemma:

As part of my job, working at home, I am supposed to write about anything that is strange, amazing, or might make you say “Aha!”. I managed to barely eke out 10 pages in the last few days. I still have 30 to go.

Do you know of anything curious, exciting, weird, strange, or something you have always wanted to know that I could write about?

Just a clue: if you want to know if the chicken or egg came first, read the first few chapters of Genesis.

Have a great week!

The Beginning

In 2005, I graduate with a degree in English/secondary education. I was so excited. After 6 years of hard work, while raising two small children, I was a qualified teacher.

Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. After several applications, I could not even make the cut for an interview. I knew my grades and recommendation letters were good. So what was the problem?

I began subbing for the same teachers that got the jobs I wanted so badly. But, I still had student loans and bills from the credit cards we lived on for the last 7 years. I needed something extra, or we were going to be living in debt forever. I began tutoring English at the college a few nights a week.

Unfortunately, that soon got old. Some days, I would leave the house with the kids at 7am and not get home until around 9pm. My mom was a good sport about babysitting. But, my kids and I were missing each other. I needed an alternative.

Freelance Writing

A friend at the college where I was tutoring knew I had a big dilemma. Since I had good writing skills, he suggested I check into freelance writing. I could work at home and make a little extra money in the evenings and on the weekends. But, I could still be there for my kids.

Although it sounded like a good deal, I had absolutely NO IDEA where to begin. So, I did what everyone does, when they want to look something up on the Internet. I Googled it.

Elance

I got started on a freelance job site called Elance. I paid a membership fee. But, I also had to pay a fee for every project I bid on. It didn’t feel good to end up giving them so much of what I earned, but it was work, and I could stay home with my kids. (Today, I am glad to say, they have changed the way they charge the buyer to complete his/her projects. Instead of paying Elance a cut of what I make, I get paid what I bid, and the client pays the service fees. I know they were losing a lot of writers, including me. So, if you want to check it out, they are more equitable than in the past.)

But, I also found out that it was nothing like knowing how to write a good English paper. Although what I learned in college helped, I had to learn a whole new style of writing. The style helps Internet surfers key in on the information they need faster. It also help search engines pick up the material, so when anyone does an Internet search, the writing is more likely to get a hit. I had so much to learn!

Merciful Clients

Thankfully, I have had some great clients that were well aware that I was a beginner. They gave me the opportunity to correct my material and also gave me some much needed tutoring of my own along the way.

The Accident

In August of 2007, we were in a car accident. The car was pretty crunched, but the kids were able to get out. When the EMT arrived to help me out, there was something terribly wrong with my knee. After ex-rays and consultation with a bone specialist, I learned that my knee broke in 2-3 places from hitting the hand controls. I had non-active osteoporosis.

School started in about 3 weeks. I wasn’t going to be able to substitute teach for at least two months. We were in BIG trouble. So, what started out as a part time job, to earn a little extra money, had to now become a full time endeavor.

Trust me when I say, it takes a lot of writing to make a full-time living as a freelancer. Most of the time, I am luck to have 1-2 clients. There have been times I was juggling 5-6. In short, I never know from one month to the next, if I am going to make enough to get by.

Eureka!

Last year, I became the virtual assistant for one of my best clients. Over the course of 4 years of working for her off and on, we have also become good friends. It was wonderful! I basically had a steady paycheck for the first time since before I was married. It was great while it lasted. But, she needed to grow and change, and I couldn’t follow where her business was taking her.

A New Plan

Although I still do odd jobs for her on occasion, I needed to find different work. We have been living on the edge of bankruptcy for the last few years. By now, I realized that unless I was will and able to put 12-16 hours a day into my writing, I was always going to be wondering if we were going to have enough money that month.

Because of the fragility of my bones, I no longer leave the house, when it’s icy outside, so that pretty much leaves out subbing. I can’t work 12 hours a day. It isn’t that easy to write all day long, every day, about other people’s interests. I finally realized it was time to swallow my pride and apply for disability.

Since I still need to work in the meantime, until I find out if I qualify, I have to keep freelancing as much as possible. But, I had no clients. So, I went to an article mill – TextBroker.

In order to write for them, I had to take a writing test. It wasn’t a big deal. Someone reads through the test and decides how well the piece is written. Newbie writers are category 1, and paid accordingly. I managed to rate level 4, which means I can pick any article in the first 4 groups, write it, and turn it in for pay, if the client accepts it. (I have only been turned down once.) This site is good for those that need the option to write as much, or as little, as they want. It’s also a good place to start, if you are interested in trying your hand at freelance writing from home.

Words of Advice

If you think, like my ex, that this is not a real job and I am just lazy, you would be wrong. Yes, I would make more money, if I was willing to put in those kind of hours and then spend some more time trying to promote myself. But, it’s not for everyone.

It’s hard to write about some topics. I have been embarrassed more than once, when I accepted a job for medical articles and then was told to write about increasing the size of your body parts. This month I am writing about cars. What do I know? Time to study and read a lot.

If you are still interested in the possibility of freelance writing, I would be glad to help you. It’s very difficult to tell you what I have learned in the last 5 years, in just one post. Some knowledge can only be gained by experience. Plus, if you don’t initially have a love for writing, this is NOT the job for you. Believe me!

This blog is easy to write, because I am writing about living with cerebral palsy and communicating with the friends I have since made from around the world. I also get ideas from you about topics. It helps a lot.

Likewise, I hope this blog helps you, including this longer-than-normal post. If you decide you want to try freelance writing, so you can work at home, while living with cerebral palsy, let me know if I can help.

Today, as many of us remember the victims and heroes of 9-11, many of you may be wondering how this could have anything to do with Living with Cerebral Palsy. Please take a couple minutes of your time and read on:

Waving my Flag!

Today, everyone in America has been asked to put out their flags in a memorial. However, putting up a flag on my house is something that is physically impossible for me. So, this is my way of waving a flag in honor of those victims, their families, and the heroes that went above and beyond the call of duty.

Not-So Everyday Heroes

More important than waving my flag, I would like to pay tribute to those men and women that join the armed forces and sacrifice so much, just to keep 9-11 from every happening again.

Several months ago, a reader sent me a link to an amazing story about a gentlemen with cerebral palsy. Somehow, John W. Quinn managed to withstand rigorous physicals and basic training, keeping his cerebral palsy secret, so that he could have a career in the United States Navy and be treated like everyone else.

Having been a military wife for 10 years, I have absolutely no idea how anyone could keep such a secret for 20 minutes, let alone 20 years! I find him simply amazing!

So, now you know how I can segway from living with cerebral palsy to 9-11. It is extraordinary people like Mr. Quinn that sacrifice daily, and often put their lives on the line, to try and prevent such a tragedy from ever happening in America again. It also shows that even individuals living with cerebral palsy don’t know what they can do, until they give it a try. Simply amazing!

May God Bless America!

Recently, I had a reader ask me to write about finding a job and living with cerebral palsy. Around my age, she has not found much help with Vocational Rehabilitation and UCP. Although she really wants to work, she can’t exactly take any old job. Standing on her feet all day is not exactly an option.

You are not Alone!

I wish I had some profound advice and addition resources that will help ensure that she can work and continue to be as independent as possible. But, the fact remains that the job market is lousy, whether you have cerebral palsy or not.

The news proudly states that the unemployment rates are falling slightly. Well, I hope the government doesn’t knock themselves over by patting themselves on the back. The rates are probably falling because employment benefits have run out for thousands of people. Thus, they are no longer part of the recorded statistics.

In truth, more and more people are in the same boat. For example, I live in a town with coal mines and methane gas. Before the new administration, workers couldn’t find a place to live. They might be willing to pay $600 a month for a room in someone’s house.

Today, the mines have laid off workers and are no longer hiring, because of the expenses promised to businesses that deal in energy, other than wind, etc. Now, instead of young college kids working at the quick shops, older people, on the verge of retirement, are taking the most menial jobs, just to exist.

Even as a freelance writer, I am working more hours for less money, just to keep my financial head above water.

Hope and Help

But, I don’t want to leave any post on a totally negative note. So, I do have a few suggestions that you might find helpful, if you are looking for a source of income, and you are willing to work at it.

If you write well, you might consider becoming a freelance writer. Go to my other blog, Writing with Purpose, and read throughthe blogs for more information. Be sure to check out the blogroll for other helpful sites and information.(The link starts you at the beginning; then, just click the next article title at the top of the page. )

Check into setting up an affiliate site for a product. Some entreprenuers actually ship the merchandise out of their homes; but, others are just drop-shippers that take the orders, and the actually product is shipped from a main warehouse.

Some people make money via eBay. But, I must confess, I have not personally checked this one out.

Google also offers jobs, but I am not sure what you would be doing for them either. But, it is a place to inquire.

However, I must give a word of warning. If you start looking online for a job opportunity and the site wants money to give you a list of opportunities, or they make promises of start making money today-BEWARE! Check it out thoroughly. I must confess, I got taken by bogus offers more than once. So, don’t jump in, unless you have done some investigating, got real people references, or have a money back guarantee!

I wish I had a better answer. But, hopefully you have been encouraged in a roundabout way.

First, even if you are looking for employment and living with cerebral palsy, everybody is. You are not alone. Second, there are employment opportunities online, if you are careful and find the legitimate offers.

Best Wishes and Good Luck!

If you are the parent of a child with cerebral palsy, I am sure you’ve got a million questions, including what kind of life your child will have as an adult. Likewise, if your body sometimes makes it a challenge just to get up in the morning, you probably wonder if you will ever have a decent job.

Where there’s a Will

For most of my life, I have persevered because of my faith and my own desire to make the most of the life I’ve been given. On the days when I just don’t feel like putting up with my cerebral palsy a minute more, my faith tells me that this life is a “vapor”. Then, when I get to heaven, I will forget what I suffered for a moment in time.

But, I also live by sheer stubbornness. I believe that if there is a will, there is a way! Really! If you want something bad enough, and are willing to work for it, you will probably be able to do a lot more than people give you credit for.

A Brief Personal Glimpse

I went to college almost 1000 from home when I was 17. I got my first job working at the desk of a Mom and Pop motel on the weekends. I couldn’t drive. So, friends would take me to work and one of my bosses brought me home. I sat behind a desk. I usually only had to get up, if their dog needed out. When I was 19, I got my first full-time job. I still hadn’t learned to drive with hand controls at this point, so I paid a coworker to give me rides.

Only after I was almost 40, and a divorced mom of two small children, did I go back to college to get a degree. For much of that education, I didn’t even have to leave home. I will talk about that another day.

Although I wanted to become a teacher, a whole bunch of things happened to derail that plan after graduation. But, the straw that broke the camel’s back was when I broke my knee in a car accident. It hit my hand controls. With delicate bones and living in a wintry climate half the year, I began working from home; and, here I am!

Building your Future

Living with cerebral palsy doesn’t mean you have to sit around and simply accept your lot in life. Admittedly, those with severe CP may not have the same opportunities. But, for those of us with mild-moderate cases, college and a good job are both possibilities. Even though it isn’t always easy, you will never know, unless you give it a try. Where there is a will there is a way!

If you want to know more, have a comment, or simply want someone to talk to that understands the challenges of cerebral palsy, contact me and let’s start a conversation about living with cerebral palsy.