Noticing Newbies

Hello, my name is Mark, and I’m a writer. I haven’t written for 7 days. Kind of feels like “Writer’s Anonymous”, huh? Ever since I picked up my first book, I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I grew up on a small farm in the country, and we had three tv channels. As you can imagine, there was a lot of reading that went on in my house. As I read about great ancient civilizations, significant historical events, and faraway places, I came to realize that history wasn’t shaped by great leaders, kings, or warlords. History was shaped by the people who wrote about the events of their day. Everything that we perceive about the past comes from something that we have read. Our very existence dictates that we all become storytellers in some form or fashion. Our lives are shaped by our experiences in the world, and it’s up to us to choose how we tell that story.

Although this is meant to be an introduction of sorts, the real reason that I have come here today is to invite you on an epic adventure. It sounds cliche, even I winced when I wrote it, but it’s true. I have cerebral palsy and started losing my ability to walk about six month ago. I ended up on two crutches with knee pain so severe that I couldn’t walk more than five minutes at a time. I’m a husband, father, and professional geek, and I’ve built an entire life on the premise that I would be walking around with one crutch.

I didn’t panic. I went to see my doctor, and I started some cutting-edge therapy. Honestly, it’s painful and very brutal sometimes. I get sore in places that I did not even know that I had muscles. I have bruises, and there are some nights that I am so sore that I can’t even sleep. If I don’t do the therapy, I will not be able to walk. However, if I tough it out, not only will it correct the issue I have, but it will allow me to achieve total non-assisted gait. In short, I am going to be able to walk without my crutches.

The past several months made me sit down and really think about things. I have been really blessed by awesome and supportive friends and family. No one every tried to discourage me from doing anything that I wanted to do. They were all very supportive. Honestly, I never really considered myself to be disabled, and none of my friends and family did either. It was still hard. I blazed a lot of trails, There were no role models to ask advice, and some days were just one foot in front of the other without any idea of how things would turn out. This made me wonder about the people who don’t have the support network that I do. There are those who face life-threatening illnesses alone, or maybe they have a disability and have been told that life will be a certain way and that things will never change for them. People fall down the deepest, blackest holes that you could ever imagine, and some of them never escape. They look to the Heavens and cry for a miracle and desperately watch for the guardian angel, listen for the booming voice, or look for the burning bush without ever realizing that sometimes they are the bush. With a little faith and a lot of hard work miracles are possible.

For my New Year’s resolution I decided that I wanted to show these people that they are not alone. Helen Keller once wrote, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” I want to put that theory to the test. I talked to my doctor and my physical therapy team, and I am in therapy to get off my crutches. I am going to walk a crutch-free mile in every state. My current goal is to walk my first crutch-free mile in Knoxville, TN on July 4th, 2015, but I don’t want this to be about my journey. I want to walk a mile in the shoes of those who are facing struggles of their own and show my support for them. Therefore, there is a sign-up link on my website, www.teamwalknow.com, where people can put the names of those who are facing some sort of challenge. These people are invited to walk the mile with me. If they can’t, that’s okay. I’m going to carry a list of names for each state as I walk the mile. My goal is to walk in support of 1,000,000 people. At the end of the walk, I am going to do a book about the stories of the people that I have met along the way, and eventually I would like to start a foundation that would offer resources and mentors to anyone who is facing a challenge.

To me, walking in support of 1,000,000 people seems to be a more daunting goal than walking a crutch-free mile in every state. What better way to reach that goal than to recruit a bunch of writers? This is not just my story to tell. I want to be the pebble thrown into the pond that causes a ripple that causes change in the life of another. Maybe by sharing my journey with others, someone will be inspired to pursue that career that they have always dreamed of or maybe even take the plunge to become a writer. Maybe someone will finish the story that they have within themselves and share it with the world.

I’ve lurked here for a very long time. I’ve read so many wonderful things and have enjoyed my time here immensely. I feel as if I know some of you already. It’s a privilege to be a part of such a wonderful community, and I don’t know what awaits on this little adventure. I just know that I am glad I could share it with each of you. I am going to try to post more here this year, and I am going to try to do some reviews. If someone needs an ear or a shoulder, my door is always open. I look forward to forming many great friendships here!

Now, who wants to turn the world upside down?