This Boy Is Me
The
boy stands next to his primary school teacher, holding her hand as he watches
the other boys and girls throw a ball through a hula-hoop for sports day.
The
boy sits at his desk trying to read the squiggles he has written on a piece of paper,
but blames himself as he cannot make out the letters.
The
boy gets pushed over by the other students in the corridor. They take his bag,
shoes and laugh as his pencil case and books drop out.
The
boy falls off his bike, scraping his knee on the pavement. He cries and runs into
the house and says he will never ride again.
The
boy screams. He shoves books off the shelf and smashes glasses onto the floor.
He stops. In the mirror he sees a boy trembling.
This
boy is me.
---
I
paused many times whilst writing the sentences above, because those memories
are all real and they all hurt.
‘Dyspraxia
Awareness Week’ comes around once a year, and each time I make sure to spend
five minutes of every day reflecting upon my experiences of living with
Dyspraxia.
I
reflect that it is okay for our brains to process information differently, that
it may take us longer but we do get there in the end and actually go beyond
expectation. After all, we are all unique and have a story to tell.
It
is also fine to be scared, frustrated or angry sometimes. We should not shy
away from who we are because a few judgemental people try to insult us. They
only do this because they are jealous and have not realised who they are as
individuals. Remember our voices can inspire others to share theirs.
I
am reminded there are incredible people out there, many of whom I would not be
here today without. I am thankful for my family, friends, the staff at school
and university, and the Dyspraxia community who prove we can be fantastic in
spite of having Dyspraxia.
Finally,
I should never forget how far I have come and where I am going next. So, in the
future if I ever feel anxious, angry or hopeless I should tell myself the
following:
---
The
boy runs with the ball and kicks it in the top corner of the goal. He swims
across the water and does ten laps of the pool. He goes outside again, grabs
the bike by the handles and rides off into the distance.
The
boy holds up the piece of paper and reads the sentence, ‘Always believe in
yourself.’ He then starts to produce stories and poems that will last forever.
The
boy shakes hands with the governor who presents the boy with the certificate stating
he has graduated with First-class honours in English Literature and Creative
Writing from University of Hertfordshire.
The
boy high-fives his friends and hugs members of his family; and joins in
games of poker and bowling, goes to the cinema, travels to snow-capped
mountains and deep oceans.
The
boy places the knocked over books back onto the shelf and mends the broken
glasses. In the mirror he sees himself, smiling.
This
boy is me.
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| This boy is me...Copyright © 2016- Jake Borrett and Paul Kielty. All rights reserved. |
