During childhood, cerebral palsy often made me feel isolated and lonely. Fortunately, I am blessed to have a loving family. My entire life, I have been surrounded by loving people. My parents, sister, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles have always been there for me.
Finding hobbies helps me feel less isolated. As a child, I knew I wouldn’t play sports at school or climb trees. However, I was able to find other ways to participate in sports. Adaptive sports were a cornerstone of my early years. I played baseball, sled hockey, and soccer and took martial arts.
My best friend was an instructor at the martial arts school where I took lessons. Over the years, we grew closer. He is now my roommate and full-time PCA. Because of martial arts, I have two friends I deeply cherish. I met my other friend after being invited to play cards one night.
Cerebral palsy limits my physical abilities, and I’ve always enjoyed more intellectual hobbies such as reading and writing. My favorite subject in school was language arts.
I remember my parents reading books like Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings to me before bed.
As I grew up, my love of reading was even more apparent. I read all different kinds of books. In particular, I enjoyed Geronimo Stilton, A to Z Mysteries, Magic Tree House, and The Fudge Series by Judy Blume.
In high school, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I dream of seeing a book I wrote for sale at Barnes & Noble. Writing a book is one of my goals for the future. As an adult, I have enjoyed nonfiction books, including Tuesdays with Morrie, Being Heumann, and When Breath Becomes Air.
Watching sports is another one of my favorite pastimes. As far back as I can remember, I’ve loved sports. I have fond memories of attending Boston Red Sox games as a child. I looked forward to cotton candy, peanuts, and a trip to the team store to buy souvenirs. I even named my dog after my favorite player.
While baseball is my favorite sport, I enjoy others as well. I enjoy basketball and hockey in particular. I love watching the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors. I’ve seen a couple of Celtics games live. During hockey season, I watch as many Pittsburgh Penguins games as possible. Although the Penguins aren’t my hometown team, I like Sidney Crosby.
Sports have lifted my spirits during some tough times. When I went to St. Louis for my Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, I watched the postseason series between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. I began collecting baseball cards after another operation.
My hobbies bring me joy. I’ve been able to form some unforgettable friendships because of my hobbies. I am grateful that my hobbies have helped me cope with my disability.