Anything Men can do, a woman with a disability can do better!

There's a lot going on in the media today about Feminism. Apparently nobody will listen unless Beyonce has it in bright letters behind her while she twerks on stage, yay Feminisim! Is there something wrong with that statement?
Yes.
But that's not the reason I'm talking about it today.
I've always thought that I'm somewhat of a feminist, I mean which woman born in this century isn't?
Don't answer that question because yes, I realize there are some ladies who disagree.
I'm not a hardcore not shave my legs no bra type of feminist.
I'm the type who wants to be treated the same as men. I want to be given the same opportunities that men get, equal pay, and to be seen not as an object, but as a person.




Now, I'll be the first to admit that a guy should be respectful and open doors and offer to pay and whatnot.
Does that mean I'm a hypocrite?
No, because I'm going to offer to pay, open a door if he's close to me, and everything else.
Once again, this is not why I'm talking about this, I just wanted to go ahead and get my thoughts and opinions out of the way before I actually get to the real stuff.

So, everyone knows about the glass ceiling for women and how they have to jump all the obstacles that society puts in front of them.
But what about a woman with a disability?
In the eyes of society, she's twice as disqualified as a man is, is she not?
Not only is she seen as weak and incompetent, but now she has a disability that makes her useless.
Please realize that these are not my views, we all know I am both a woman and have a disability! :)
It's just something that people don't realize when they think of feminism or glass ceilings.
They think of the regular able-bodied woman who is able to do everything a man can do...if not better.
But what about the disabled woman (who in my case can do everything a man can do...if not better) who has limitations with what she can and can't do? Why aren't we thinking about her? Why aren't we empowering her?

How do we empower her, you ask?
The same way we empower women as a whole.
Granted, us regular people don't need bright signs or twerking bodies to do so.
We need to bring awareness to the issue.
We need to shine the bright light that is the American's Disability Act, as well as showing that she is a strong woman despite her disability.

Next time you are feeling the girl power and think about how badly and unfairly women are treated in society, not only here...but around the world...think about disabled women.

If you think you are seen as weak, imagine how they feel.

Slow your roll

My break this summer was 2.5 weeks.
Technically it was like 3, but I had to be back early for school stuff (go figure).

During my break I went to California, had my 23rd birthday, hit up every single doctor I have, and then I got sick.

This is something that happens a lot to me because:
1. I have a next to nothing immune system annnnddd
2. I have what's called the Cawthon Luck, it runs in the family.

Over my so called break, I didn't slow down until I got sick.
This is normally how my body forces me to slow down, so I wasn't that surprised when I woke up a week ago with a sore throat.

I'm still congested.

Now, a normal regular human being wouldn't have to schedule every single doctor appointment in one week because they don't have that many doctors...they wouldn't have a cold (yes, a cold) for much longer than maybe 3 days...and they wouldn't have to be forced to slow down by their body.

But, as well all know...I'm not normal and I'm totally ok with that!

In order for me to rest, because I'm me and I don't have time to slow down (there are things to do and people to seeeee!!), my body will either stress itself out so much that it just stops working (a flareup) or I'll catch any little things that is floating around (I think I caught it from a 6 year old coughing 3 seats down from me on the plane).

I'm used to this, but it still sucks knowing that it could happen at any moment.
I'm supposed to take care of myself and get enough rest and eat healthy and blah blah blah...
Hahahahaha! I maybe do like one of those.

If you have an autoimmune disease, you know how easy it is to catch things.
There is literally no way to avoid it.
However, this year my roommate got the flu and I was out of the house within 15 minutes of her finding out...
I never got it.
That is NOT the Cawthon luck.
I don't know how I didn't get sick, but by golly it didn't happen.

Let me explain to you what happens when my body doesn't slow down.
You already know about the flareups (if not, go back a few posts and you'll see).

Your version of sick:


My version of sick:




No, I'm kidding...kind of!
For a person with no immune system, getting something as small as a cold makes them feel like they just got run over by a monster truck, hit in the head by a baseball bat, and then thrown into a freezing pool.

That's why if someone is sick, I try and stay away. Not because I don't want to be around them, but because my body is having a hard time trying to not kill itself, that it doesn't need to try and kill other germs.

I still love you guys though!

What's really funny, and I say this all the time, but I would rather have a flareup than have a cold.

I know, I know.
Why would you want to be stuck in bed unable to move instead of having a cold.
Well, because I know how to deal with that kind of pain.

I know that If I position my body a certain way, I can ummm, make it hurt less, well at least temporarily until the pain pill takes over.
With a cold...you can't breathe, can't sleep, can't numb it with a pain killer.
See my point?

I can't really avoid getting sick, but I can help prevent it.
I can slow my roll, stay away from those who I know are sick, and I can become a healthier human being by taking care of myself.

You can do all of these things tooo, it's not just for those who have a picket fence of an immune system instead of the great wall of china type.

So Slow your roll and don't stress about the things you can't control.
It will help your body out as well as your mind.


Disclaimer Note: I'm not a hypocrite, however while I know what you should do...that doesn't mean I'll always do it. You know good and well how hard it is to slow down when you're going 100 miles per hour a day. But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try :) Here's to slowing our rolls together!!

22

I don't know about you, But I'm certainly not 22.

So yesterday was my 23rd birthday and it was just what I needed.
I was surrounded by a few friends and close family.
It was a perfect doctor who themed party followed by a great afternoon with quality time with just my brother. I needed that too.

I've never been one to dwell on getting older, nor have I ever been one to want to stay a certain age forever.

I mean, I'm pretty awesome in that I'm 23, I look like I'm still under 21 because they card me everywhere I go, I have the liver of an alcoholic (the one who doesn't really drink gets the bad liver), annnndddd I have the brittle bones of an 86 year old.

I literally have the best of every world there is! :)

Still, I found myself this morning when I woke up hating the fact that I was 23.

It's not an even number.
I don't have a really good catchy song to go along with it (nobody likes Blink 182's "what's my age again")
       "Nobody likes you when you're 23"....no Blink 182...nobody likes you...
And I just don't like the way it sounds.

While I may not like the number 23, I'm going to like this year.

22 was the best and worst year of my life so far.

I moved to Tallahassee.
I met wonderful people who have taught me so many things about respect, diversity, and friendship.
I got to travel to LA with my grandmother.
I went to football games and concerts.
I was able to start research and earn respect from professors that I want to work with.
I kept a stellar GPA when my world was crashing down around me.
I got to spend the last year with the ones I loved before they were gone.

I have to say that yesterday was harder than I expected it to be.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry yesterday because Meeme and Papa's names weren't signed on my card, or that I didn't get to eat a burger or steak grilled by the master chef himself, or that I didn't get to see Brandy coming toward me with that silly dog smile on her face.
I cried.
And it'll be a while before we stop.

Being 22 taught me that no matter what, family and friends will always be there for you.
It taught me to push through when you don't think you can.
And it taught me that no matter what I do, the ones I lost will be proud of me.

If you noticed I didn't name the bad things that happened to me this year.
There's no need to sit and list them because being 22 is over. It's time to begin at 23.

So this year...
I will be the best me I can be.
I will make mistakes because I'm young and I can.
I will make Them proud.
I will cry because I miss them.
I will make memories because I never know when the last time I get to see somebody is.
I will take care of my body (yeaahhh, this one is gonna take some work lol!)
I'm going to get into a Ph.D program because I want to.

There are so many things that I'm going to strive for this year because I never know what's going to happen next.
Like I said, 22 was the best and worst year and there were points where I didn't think it could get worse and times where I didn't think it could get any better.

But it can always get worse and it can always get better.
It just depends on how you look at what's facing you.

I was and I am "happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time".
It was and still "miserable and magical".

Nothing has changed. Or has everything changed?
(side note: everything has changed is a Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran song, sorry I had to lol)

And 23 might have health scares, deaths, wonderful grades, a doctoral program, and so much more.

So bring it on, 23, bring it on.


Did you really think that I would talk about being 22 and not have Taylor lyrics in it?!
I really hope by now, that you guys know me :)