By Aydin Abramson
It is strange how watching a show about football with family can stir up something deep within a person. I do not play football, but this show deeply impacted me. The main character in this show must come to terms with who he is as a person and the struggles that he faces in life. Spencer’s dad left him when he was a kid, and he is experiencing new events that he has never experienced before. He moves from a poor neighborhood to Beverly Hills.
At first he feels strange, entering a new school. People could see that he was different; his dad left him when he was a little child. He played amazing football. Just like in football where Spencer could read people’s plays, in life he could read people’s feelings. On the field, Spencer faces his football opponents and the other team, but off the field he faces an even larger obstacle: figuring out who he is with all the challenges that he faces in life.
I have learned, in figuring out who I am as a person, that it is the challenges I face in my life that make me stronger. What shaped me most as a person is a motor disability that I was diagnosed with as a young child. Disability is a word to describe not being able to do something. It is stagnant in my life – I either have it or do not have it, and I carry it around with me in my life.
However some people view it as a negative thing – that word can mean that a person can never be able to do something. I disagree. The brain is constantly developing, making new neurological connections with each new memory. I have a motor disability, which means that I take longer to process information. Whereas some people take one hour to complete an assignment, it might take me three. My brain is wired differently than other people’s.
My disability never stopped me from doing anything, but it has proven an obstacle throughout the years.
My motor delays inspire me to overcome challenges and give me the motivation that I need. I do not want to cover up my disability. When I get a concussion, my system is off, and I get severe migraines. When I was born, I was told that I was never going to walk. I run, swim and ski. I even surpass the expectations of myself. My disability and the struggle that I have had when I was younger inspire me to work hard and appreciate the grind. I am a photographer, runner, and a writer, yet it is my obstacles that make me work really hard to find success.
As I grow up and experience new emotions, my disability cannot magically disappear. I must embrace it and view it as a strength and not a weakness. I value myself for working hard, and it is a trait I look for in other people too.
My disability does not prove that I cannot do things; it proves that I can achieve the impossible.
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