Biographical stories

Biographical stories

I wrote this piece a while ago, but it is still relevant today, I hope you enjoy it:

Rejected

 

Have you ever felt rejected? I don’t mean rejected by an ex partner or even by your friends. I mean rejected because you’re different. 

Most of us have.

In a perfect world… stop, however much I don’t like to admit it, this world is far from perfect. And far be it for me to judge what is right and what is wrong, but let me say this, any form of discrimination is wrong. This piece is about the discrimination I felt during the early part of my life.

Rejection is a subclass of discrimination, and vice versa.

I have had Cerebral Palsy since birth, my parents were told that I wouldn’t live. I suppose that could be seen as a form of rejection even before you take your first steps!  Fortunately, my Mum and Dad didn’t reject me, and look at me now! If you’d have told me about 30 years ago, I was going to become a budding actor and author, I would have said you’re mad!

My whole village of Otford didn’t reject me, as almost all of the villagers spent the time after work, the retired ones in the daytime, and at weekends, giving me exercises to do, both physical and mental, to stimulate my brain and also to help me to balance and walk without assistance. I remember one day we were in the garden of my local pub (no, I didn’t drink when I was three, one of my helpers was the publican! and I ran round and round with my trousers falling down – even at three I said I was ‘airing my body.’ When I asked the landlady and her assistant (who was also one of my helpers to ‘air their bodies’ as well, they politely declined.

One incident happened when we went on holiday to Pontins at Eastbourne. I love bouncy castles (I still do!) and my mum asked this lady if everyone could get off the bouncy castle and give me a bounce on my own. She said no. I felt rejected then, and quite hurt.

People who know me say I haven’t got a disability. I am fully independent and not in a wheelchair, just a bit wobbly at times! I sometimes wish I could wake up in the morning one day and it would magically be gone. I know it sounds strange, but it is part of me, it does get me into the o2 free! I am very lucky that I have lovely friends, family and neighbours, and that’s all that matters.

 

(This is an extract from my unwritten book, As Yet Untitled, but it will probably be rejected anyway, by Hot off the Press Books 2019 All rights reserved)