To all the people who bash me at school: Who cares? In 20 years will it matter if I only wore t-shirts? Will it matter that I love weightlifting? Will it matter that I, a person you barely knew, is different? No. The only thing that matters if what you do with your life. It will matter what we do for others, with our talents, and that we had some form of conviction and morals.
Every day I hear terrible things said to each other:
"That's so gay"
"You're retarded"
"Faggot"
".... is such a loser"
"Nerd"
"Douchebag"
"OMG I hate him!"
I can understand that feeling to make fun of someone you see that is different than you. It makes you seem funny, cool, or superior. It's bullcrap. What if the last thing you said to someone was the final straw that leads them to suicide? What if the kid who is fun to pick on snaps and dies or shoots someone? What if the last thing you said to someone was cruel then you were to die? How would you be remembered? We don't always know it but there are consequences for everything we do. Everything!
Could you live with yourself if someone elses' pain or death was all your fault?
The only way for someone to be superior is if you are God or Jesus Christ and I'm 100% sure that no one at Dexter High School is either. We claim that we wish people were nicer, no cliques, and life was like on "If You Really Knew Me."
Not such a bad sounding place right? No stereotypes, no "popularity," no hateful things, and nothing but love for one another.
We claim that we're closer since this terrible tragity that Dexter has felt because of the loss of Nick King.
Let's act it out. Does it really matter that so-and-so is wearing a shirt declared "stupid?" What if they were gone the next day? Would you be the one posting on facebook "RIP" statuses? How hypicritacal can you be? Is this what anyone would want? Life is so precious, it can be taken so quickly as we were forced to learn this past week. Should we spend it destroying each other?
NO! Come on people!
The world is OURS for the taking?
Don't you realize?
Our generation is soon to enter the world of adults, and what will we do with that?
We have the opportunity to change EVERYTHING in this world! We could make the world so much better for everyone! Life could be that fantasy world! We could save so many hours of tears and replace them with doing something wonderful in this world! We could make this a perfect place, We MUST act and make the world a beautiful world!
It is our duty as the most basic human beings to treat each other with dignity and respect! Because, in the end, it does NOT matter that you look "smoking hot" at prom, or that Bob is different, or that someone is homosexual, someone is disabled, or that someone is the opposite of you.
In history, only moments of great or terrible things are important. History will not record what you say about each other, but everyone of the 6.74 billion people in the world will remember you for what you do and for what you say to each other. Every action, every word, and every thought is remembered by the person that YOU affected!
I implore you, if you think that someone is weird, keep it to yourself.
Say one compliment about every person you encounter.
Think of only the good rather that emphasizing the bad.
If you don't have anything nice to say, shut up.
We can, we must, and we WILL change the world. Only if everyone takes up the challenge and put in the effort.
We must, we never know what the future will hold but we sure can try to make it the best thing possible.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Where Have I been?
Hello world, where have I been?
Who knows!
Today, is my 16th birthday! Many times I didn't think I'd actually get to my 16th birthday.
But again, optimism and perseverance triumphs!
School starts in about 3 weeks, I already have some supplies... Blah!
I'm having a meeting with my teachers before school-I think- about my 504 plan and this coming year so that will be good.
I've been doing some reflection about life today. It's interesting to see that we really don't know what's going to happen in the future, nor can we do jack squat to control it.
My mother stated, "We all think that our kids are perfect."
Far from it. Life is not about perfection, nor is it about being the best you can be.
It's about trying.
Yes, you should try to succeed. Yes, you should try to do the best you can, but you should with the abilities you have. If a person has a disability, such as Down syndrome, that person should not be compaired to a person with out a disability. You shouldn't say,"well, he'll never....(continue)" you should look at it as "well he'll do this and this and this."
Positive, not negative, thoughts are the most important. See a person for the greatness they have, not for a difference.
If you really think about it, everyone in the world has something "different" or a challenge in their lives: from asthma to visual impairments and on and on.
It's fascinating for me to see the "normalcy" in the world. The "average kid" or "average teen," we live our lives based off of the lives of others and off of stories, TV shows, the internet, etc. It's based off the idea of what society declares to be the "normal life," yet, we only live one life. We only know of our own lives, our own challenges, our abilities, talents, skills, and difficulties. How can there be a "normal" person among us?
From,
Amy
Who knows!
Today, is my 16th birthday! Many times I didn't think I'd actually get to my 16th birthday.
But again, optimism and perseverance triumphs!
School starts in about 3 weeks, I already have some supplies... Blah!
I'm having a meeting with my teachers before school-I think- about my 504 plan and this coming year so that will be good.
I've been doing some reflection about life today. It's interesting to see that we really don't know what's going to happen in the future, nor can we do jack squat to control it.
My mother stated, "We all think that our kids are perfect."
Far from it. Life is not about perfection, nor is it about being the best you can be.
It's about trying.
Yes, you should try to succeed. Yes, you should try to do the best you can, but you should with the abilities you have. If a person has a disability, such as Down syndrome, that person should not be compaired to a person with out a disability. You shouldn't say,"well, he'll never....(continue)" you should look at it as "well he'll do this and this and this."
Positive, not negative, thoughts are the most important. See a person for the greatness they have, not for a difference.
If you really think about it, everyone in the world has something "different" or a challenge in their lives: from asthma to visual impairments and on and on.
It's fascinating for me to see the "normalcy" in the world. The "average kid" or "average teen," we live our lives based off of the lives of others and off of stories, TV shows, the internet, etc. It's based off the idea of what society declares to be the "normal life," yet, we only live one life. We only know of our own lives, our own challenges, our abilities, talents, skills, and difficulties. How can there be a "normal" person among us?
From,
Amy
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself... And Public Restrooms, And Lamps, And DHS....
Hello world,
It is I!
I just wanted to talk about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) today. Mainly what OCD is is your brain gets stuck on stuff that you're doing (obsessions) and you have to do whatever will "protect" or "make it feel right" (compulsions) or something will happen to you, a loved one, etc. That's primarily how you can tell the difference between a compulsion and a tic. If asked what will happen if you didn't hop a person with a tic would say you would feel a buildup pressure until you do it. A person with OCD would say "My mom would die" or something ridiculous like that.
Speaking of ridiculous, people with OCD know their obsessions and compulsions are ridiculous but like a how a tic is like a sneeze and you have to, people with OCD have to do it.
According to WebMD, the symptoms of OCD, which are the obsessions and compulsions, may vary. Common obsessions include:
For me, I am afraid of swimming, public restrooms, have social phobia-the fear that everyone is sitting there starring at me and judging me, and the above stuff.
If something doesn't feel right I'll flail my hands around until it feels right.
So if you see me sitting there looking freaked out or think I'm weird (which I am) you'll understand. And that's the most important thing.
Later we'll talk about social anxiety. But I've probably weirded you out enough for now!
-Amy
It is I!
I just wanted to talk about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) today. Mainly what OCD is is your brain gets stuck on stuff that you're doing (obsessions) and you have to do whatever will "protect" or "make it feel right" (compulsions) or something will happen to you, a loved one, etc. That's primarily how you can tell the difference between a compulsion and a tic. If asked what will happen if you didn't hop a person with a tic would say you would feel a buildup pressure until you do it. A person with OCD would say "My mom would die" or something ridiculous like that.
Speaking of ridiculous, people with OCD know their obsessions and compulsions are ridiculous but like a how a tic is like a sneeze and you have to, people with OCD have to do it.
According to WebMD, the symptoms of OCD, which are the obsessions and compulsions, may vary. Common obsessions include:
- Fear of dirt or contamination by germs.
- Fear of causing harm to another.
- Fear of making a mistake.
- Fear of being embarrassed or behaving in a socially unacceptable manner.
- Fear of thinking evil or sinful thoughts.
- Need for order, symmetry, or exactness.
- Excessive doubt and the need for constant reassurance.
- Repeatedly bathing, showering, or washing hands.
- Refusing to shake hands or touch doorknobs.-------ME in public places
- Repeatedly checking things, such as locks or stoves.
- Constant counting, mentally or aloud, while performing routine tasks.--------ME
- Constantly arranging things in a certain way.-------ME
- Eating foods in a specific order.-------ME
- Being stuck on words, images or thoughts, usually disturbing, that won't go away and can interfere with sleep.-------ME
- Repeating specific words, phrases, or prayers.-------ME
- Needing to perform tasks a certain number of times.-------ME
- Collecting or hoarding items with no apparent value.--------ME
For me, I am afraid of swimming, public restrooms, have social phobia-the fear that everyone is sitting there starring at me and judging me, and the above stuff.
If something doesn't feel right I'll flail my hands around until it feels right.
So if you see me sitting there looking freaked out or think I'm weird (which I am) you'll understand. And that's the most important thing.
Later we'll talk about social anxiety. But I've probably weirded you out enough for now!
-Amy
Monday, August 9, 2010
Metaphor: Becoming a Butterfly. Butterfly? Nah, More Like Becoming a Frog.
Greetings from planet Amy.
So, if you read my last post you'll understand this one.
Some people don't understand optimism. That I'll never understand. What good is life without happiness or hope? In Greek mythology, Pandora became the owner of a small box she was told never to open. However, the gods made women curious so of course, Pandora opened it. Pandora's box released all the horrible things in the world: death, monsters, torture, hatred, war, disease, and so on.
It kept one good thing that the world refused to let go of: hope.
So how can we live in a world of so much evil but still continue to carry on and succeed?
On that note let me reveal my plan.
Again, many people don't understand optimism. People don't understand the will to continue, the will to succeed, or the will to be who you are even with difficulties in your life. For the longest time, that was me. I was ashamed and afraid of what my peers would think of me and my best friend. Until this summer, when I took a Youth Advocacy workshop at the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living and we went to the US Social Forum in Detroit. Seeing all those people there, people who were disabled and people who were able-bodied together, of all different causes, races, religions, and backgrounds being themselves and not caring about the hateful people in the world. It was amazing.
Another reason for this idea, this self reform was that most inspirational and amazing person ever, Brad Cohen. Brad Cohen has severe TS and living with TS in the 1980's is rough. Most doctors didn't even know what TS was. He struggled and fought his way through school, succeeding despite of his TS and the schools' ignorance and became a teacher. After 24 schools turned him down because of his TS (he was magna cum lade at his school and had hundreds of awards) and not because of his teaching ability one school gave him a chance for a year.
That year he won Georgia's Teacher of the Year award.
His book/Hallmark Movie, Front of the Class: How Tourette syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, is nothing but optimism in a time of terrible struggling. I've decided I wanted that.
So, I'm going to be open about it. No more hiding or biting my tongue (literally). I'm going to be me, TS and all. TS, like any disability, does not define me. It strengthens me.
From now on, you'll here me all day long, you'll see me all day long, you'll see me in a play, you'll see me on the Student Counsel, and you'll see the real me. Not some kid who looks like a zombie all day. Not the fake "normal" me, you'll see Amy Moorman, that fun kid who enjoys lots of things at school who, oh yeah, also happens to have Tourette syndrome and OCD.
Who says optimists are fools? Who says a disability limits people? Who says people can't? I say I can, watch me!
For now,
Your twitchy friend
So, if you read my last post you'll understand this one.
Some people don't understand optimism. That I'll never understand. What good is life without happiness or hope? In Greek mythology, Pandora became the owner of a small box she was told never to open. However, the gods made women curious so of course, Pandora opened it. Pandora's box released all the horrible things in the world: death, monsters, torture, hatred, war, disease, and so on.
It kept one good thing that the world refused to let go of: hope.
So how can we live in a world of so much evil but still continue to carry on and succeed?
On that note let me reveal my plan.
Again, many people don't understand optimism. People don't understand the will to continue, the will to succeed, or the will to be who you are even with difficulties in your life. For the longest time, that was me. I was ashamed and afraid of what my peers would think of me and my best friend. Until this summer, when I took a Youth Advocacy workshop at the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living and we went to the US Social Forum in Detroit. Seeing all those people there, people who were disabled and people who were able-bodied together, of all different causes, races, religions, and backgrounds being themselves and not caring about the hateful people in the world. It was amazing.
Another reason for this idea, this self reform was that most inspirational and amazing person ever, Brad Cohen. Brad Cohen has severe TS and living with TS in the 1980's is rough. Most doctors didn't even know what TS was. He struggled and fought his way through school, succeeding despite of his TS and the schools' ignorance and became a teacher. After 24 schools turned him down because of his TS (he was magna cum lade at his school and had hundreds of awards) and not because of his teaching ability one school gave him a chance for a year.
That year he won Georgia's Teacher of the Year award.
His book/Hallmark Movie, Front of the Class: How Tourette syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, is nothing but optimism in a time of terrible struggling. I've decided I wanted that.
So, I'm going to be open about it. No more hiding or biting my tongue (literally). I'm going to be me, TS and all. TS, like any disability, does not define me. It strengthens me.
From now on, you'll here me all day long, you'll see me all day long, you'll see me in a play, you'll see me on the Student Counsel, and you'll see the real me. Not some kid who looks like a zombie all day. Not the fake "normal" me, you'll see Amy Moorman, that fun kid who enjoys lots of things at school who, oh yeah, also happens to have Tourette syndrome and OCD.
Who says optimists are fools? Who says a disability limits people? Who says people can't? I say I can, watch me!
For now,
Your twitchy friend
Obsessive? Me too!
Hello all.
I just wanted to tell you about this kid, Jaylen Arnold, who is a great inspiration. Jaylen also has TS and is on a mission to stop bullying. Check him out! http://www.jaylenschallenge.com
Okay, so the point for this blog is to give you some insight on my daily life.
Let's pretend we're in... school... yes, sorry. Monday morning of last April:
5:50 Wake up
6:15 Get on the bus with a bus driver that hates me
6:15-7:22 pick up lots of people while sitting alone trying not to be loud or tic.
7:25 arrive at school and walk towards the band room at DHS to meet my friends.
-Massive tic explosion!
*Oh yeah, did I mention you can hold in tics but they come out worse soon after. Kind of like a sneeze.*
7:40 school starts with me sitting in the back of Mrs. Shaffer's class, again suppressing tics and looking like a zombie.
-Attempts to survive and leaves the class a lot (I am allowed to leave the classroom and tic when I need to).
Continues all day long...
4th hour, math. I feel like an idiot as I try to do complex math that everyone considers easy.
5th hour, Math/Science lab with Mrs. Bauer. Spends the whole time doing math homework and studying only to do poorly on tests and quizzes.
To sum it up: I live in shame, embarrassment, isolation, and feeling like a worthless moron.
And it's only Monday...
That was Freshmen and Sophomore year... Not Junior Year!
I just wanted to tell you about this kid, Jaylen Arnold, who is a great inspiration. Jaylen also has TS and is on a mission to stop bullying. Check him out! http://www.jaylenschallenge.com
Okay, so the point for this blog is to give you some insight on my daily life.
Let's pretend we're in... school... yes, sorry. Monday morning of last April:
5:50 Wake up
6:15 Get on the bus with a bus driver that hates me
6:15-7:22 pick up lots of people while sitting alone trying not to be loud or tic.
7:25 arrive at school and walk towards the band room at DHS to meet my friends.
-Massive tic explosion!
*Oh yeah, did I mention you can hold in tics but they come out worse soon after. Kind of like a sneeze.*
7:40 school starts with me sitting in the back of Mrs. Shaffer's class, again suppressing tics and looking like a zombie.
-Attempts to survive and leaves the class a lot (I am allowed to leave the classroom and tic when I need to).
Continues all day long...
4th hour, math. I feel like an idiot as I try to do complex math that everyone considers easy.
5th hour, Math/Science lab with Mrs. Bauer. Spends the whole time doing math homework and studying only to do poorly on tests and quizzes.
To sum it up: I live in shame, embarrassment, isolation, and feeling like a worthless moron.
And it's only Monday...
That was Freshmen and Sophomore year... Not Junior Year!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
One Small Step for a Nerd; One Giant Leap for Mankind.
Greetings people of Earth, we come in peace.
By we I mean myself, Amy, your typical teenager living in a small town, and my perpetual best friend.
A bit of information about myself:
I'm 15 years old and I live in a the small village of Dexter, MI.
I go to Dexter High school-soon to be a Junior- I am involved in 4-H (training llamas) with possibly the best group of people I have ever met; I'm a Cadet in the Civil Air Patrol (http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com); I volunteer with the Wheelchair Hockey League (WCHL, http://www.thewchl.com) which my boyfriend plays goalie for and where I've met some of the greatest people ever. I coach wrestling with the Dexter Wrestling Club, I love to do Power Lifting with my school, I am co-founder and president of the Student Advocates Club, and I intend on doing Student Council, the fall play, and possibly Yearbook this year.
"Tourette syndrome? Isn't that where you swear all the time?"
Nope, far from it. Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that, due to a lack of chemicals in the brain, causes a person to tic. A tic is a motor movement (body) and vocalization (noise) that is uncontrollable and repetitive.
First discovered in 1885 by Georges Gilles de la Tourette it has gathered barely no public awareness.
Examples of Motor Tics:
With TS also comes the greater chance of having AD/HD, ADD, OCD, ASD, Autism, Aspergers, Learning Disabilities, Anxiety, Depression, or Sensory Processing issues.
The usual example in the media of TS is that that we do nothing but swear. That is NOT true. To be diagnosed with TS you have to have at least 2 motor tics and 1 vocal tic for at least a year. There is a rare form of TS where a person has the compulsion to say the most inappropriate thing in the moment. This is called, Coprolalia, which affects 13% of people with TS.
Tourette syndrome sounds like a bummer right? It can be hard to have sometimes, but for myself, it's a blessing. It comes with a lot of benefits as well (we'll get into that later). Not to mention you can't lose me...
There's one thing that with TS I cannot do...
Play hide-n-seek... but I never was good at that anyways!
I think that's enough for now, goodnight and advocate!
-Amy "Twitchy" Moorman
By we I mean myself, Amy, your typical teenager living in a small town, and my perpetual best friend.
A bit of information about myself:
I'm 15 years old and I live in a the small village of Dexter, MI.
I go to Dexter High school-soon to be a Junior- I am involved in 4-H (training llamas) with possibly the best group of people I have ever met; I'm a Cadet in the Civil Air Patrol (http://www.gocivilairpatrol.com); I volunteer with the Wheelchair Hockey League (WCHL, http://www.thewchl.com) which my boyfriend plays goalie for and where I've met some of the greatest people ever. I coach wrestling with the Dexter Wrestling Club, I love to do Power Lifting with my school, I am co-founder and president of the Student Advocates Club, and I intend on doing Student Council, the fall play, and possibly Yearbook this year.
I also happen to live with Tourette syndrome, my best friend.
"Tourette syndrome? Isn't that where you swear all the time?"
Nope, far from it. Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that, due to a lack of chemicals in the brain, causes a person to tic. A tic is a motor movement (body) and vocalization (noise) that is uncontrollable and repetitive.
First discovered in 1885 by Georges Gilles de la Tourette it has gathered barely no public awareness.
Examples of Motor Tics:
- Hopping
- Clapping
- Blinking
- Facial Movements
- Shoulder Shrugging
- Neck Movements
- Arm/Leg Movements
- Head Jerking
- Etc.
- Whistling
- Grunting
- Clucking
- Accents
- Squealing
- Barking
- Swallowing
- Coughing
- Humming
- Etc.
With TS also comes the greater chance of having AD/HD, ADD, OCD, ASD, Autism, Aspergers, Learning Disabilities, Anxiety, Depression, or Sensory Processing issues.
The usual example in the media of TS is that that we do nothing but swear. That is NOT true. To be diagnosed with TS you have to have at least 2 motor tics and 1 vocal tic for at least a year. There is a rare form of TS where a person has the compulsion to say the most inappropriate thing in the moment. This is called, Coprolalia, which affects 13% of people with TS.
Tourette syndrome sounds like a bummer right? It can be hard to have sometimes, but for myself, it's a blessing. It comes with a lot of benefits as well (we'll get into that later). Not to mention you can't lose me...
There's one thing that with TS I cannot do...
Play hide-n-seek... but I never was good at that anyways!
I think that's enough for now, goodnight and advocate!
-Amy "Twitchy" Moorman
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