Guest Author - Wollie Woehler

The perception the public have from a person with some type of neuromuscular disease is often the reason why this person believes that he is worthless. As a child other children have ignored, made fun of him and treated him as though he had the plague.

Not being able to run, catch a ball or participate in sport he also felt left out. Because it takes him longer to perform certain simple tasks such as hold a pen for a very long time while writing an examination gave the impression that he is mentally retarded too.

The importance of concentrating on things he is able of doing can never be over emphasized. We all look for big things to do and do not realise that any skill is built one step at a time, one stitch with a needle even when you have to hold it between your teeth, is an big achievement to a person who is unable to work or perform tasks in the “normal” way. You should always be on the look out for ways and means to do so-called impossible things. My philosophy in life is that I never accept that I cannot do something before I tried and failed and not because someone else decided that I am unable to do it. Of course I maid many mistakes, had my failures but because I proved to myself that it is beyond my capability, I was satisfied to let it be.

Parents and family members play an important role in motivating the child, or adult, to be bold and be a go getter instead of waiting for things to happen making life worthwhile.

Another stumble block is self perception. I use to be forever aware of my feet and the fact that I could not wear fashionable shoes because my ankles were to weak and my balance to bad to walk on high, thin, stylish heels. It took a long time to discover that I can face the world with my friendly smile. You are not only feet, if you have a foot problem, all hands if you cannot use them in the “normal” way, or whatever your physical problem may be. If you walk boldly, head lifted and a friendly smile on your face, you can concord the world.

It is also a fact that your attitude towards life will either draw people toward you or drive them away.

I could never understand why people could not treat me as a person who cannot see. I and my husband were invited to hold a slide show; it was still the days of slide projectors and feeding the slides manually. When we arrived and I heard some of the disabled people dragging their feet, others were making funny noises because they could not talk normally, I felt so out of place and at first did not know how to talk or communicate with them in any way. Suddenly it dawned on me that I was just as guilty of prejudice in that situation as were people who met me for the first time. Since then I realised that I am the one to help people feel comfortable in my presence.

In future articles we will look at ways to help eliminate all the negativity we may perceive of ourselves and start to live the confident and happy life we all strive towards.