JustWrite

Sing
Sing a song
Sing out loud
Sing out strong
Sing of good things, not bad
Sing of happy, not sad

Sing
Sing a song
Make it simple
To last your whole life long
Don’t worry that it’s not good enough
For anyone else to hear
Sing
Sing a song

These lyrics, from a Sesame Street song from many moons ago, came back to me last night after watching an ABC News story about Sara Pyszka. Sara is a young woman with cerebral palsy. Like me, she is non-verbal. She uses a DynaVox for communication. She also uses it to sing! She has sung at various events, including leading the Republican National Convention in the Pledge of Allegiance last September and singing the National Anthem at the Pirates/Astros baseball game a couple weeks ago. Truly amazing!

I was emotional as I watched the news clip. Sara has been using the DynaVox communicator for several years now, which means she has not known the same isolating silence like I have or, at least, not to the same degree as I have. And that is so awesome for her! Having her voice will open so many doors and possibilities for her.

Sara is off to college in a few weeks to study journalism. I wish her all the best and every success!

Keep singing, Sara! Sing out loud! Sing out strong!

Living with cerebral palsy, my lack of muscle control, limited hand function and inability to walk without falling isn’t my biggest frustration. My biggest frustration is my lack of easily understandable speech. I speak Glenda-ish and only a select few understand this unique dialect. To the rest of the world, I am “non-verbal” – a point my dear husband Darrell vehemently disagrees with, particularly when I have something on my mind!

Being “non-verbal” has led to isolation and loneliness. Without clear speech, simple interactions with other people are difficult. And when people do hear my speech, they mistakenly assume I am deaf or cognitively impaired; neither of which can be further from the truth.
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I am sitting here, wearing my white band, watching the live8 concerts online. And I am absolutely amazed by the power of technology to bring us together for one cause, to unite the world for one- reason. It just blows my mind. (more…)