Using Humor to Explain the Challenges of Life With a Disability

When I was younger my tremors would embarrass me. Now, they impress me with their superpower strength. I’ve even started wondering if I need to bring a barking dog and a cup full of lemonade to softball tryouts to get another scholarship to finish off my last semester of undergrad.

If you’re wondering — today, I was drinking a glass full of lemonade when my dogs barked at a doorbell. Next thing I knew, my “spastic” right arm threw that lemonade clear across the entire kitchen. Honestly, I felt bad for the mess, but also secretly gave myself a pat on the back for throwing a drink that far. I’ve considered my right arm to be a softball throwing arm a few times lately.

On a serious note, for those who want to know, when a person with CP experiences a spastic tremor in a limb, their muscle(s) jerk and has a mind of their own. After the muscle jerks, your body is recovering from the “shock,” so your limb or muscle can get stuck in the direction the tremor or spasm sent it until you can assure your body it’s back in control of its surroundings. The process happens in a split second, but the stiffness and soreness can last for a while afterwards.

Because of the disconnect between our brains and muscle movements, people with CP cannot control when and how violently these tremors or spasms occur. Therefore, after 21 years of dealing with it, I have found humor is a great solution.

I guess I have no choice but to make more lemonade out of lemons, since my last batch is all over the kitchen. Also, I wish my muscles would stop making themselves into such jerks. No one likes a jerk.