Not that Inspiring: Speechless episode four

On this episode of Speechless, JJ and  Keneth get to spend the entire day together without mom or school,while the rest of the family gets to go to Paintballing and Ice Skating  two things that with JJ are hard to do.   Durin their day together JJ and Kenneth  become the objects of pity and get special perks, for example. they get to  get into a Dogger Game for free.  At first,JJ is into to this, but by the end,  he is not  happy.

 I have mild CP , so while I do not get inspiration a lot I still get it. When people call me inspiring, I do not like it. I mean I have not done anything  that great.  Yes I have a disability and have overcome  a ton and I think I am strong and think I am amazing, but I do not like  being called inspiring because it does one of two things.




 One   It shows me how limiting  you  think that disabilities are.

 So one time in college  I had something happen  to me that I have  called the  Seal incident.   In a Linguistics class at a private college. The teacher overly praised me for doing well on the first test of the quarter .   She came   to where I was sitting  and  wanted to shake my hand because I had gotten the second highest grade, she did not praise the highest student.  I felt like a seal. I hated this in fact it  discouraged me from doing well on future tests in that class. I  later learned that she  thought I was not going to do well.    This made me mad.  Let me tell you guys something.  Just because you  thought I  wouldn't do well doesn't mean it's a miracle when we do well it just means that you had  low expectations because  we have disabilities.  I am a disabled  honor   student and no that is not surprising.



 Two   It puts me on a pedestal

  Inspiration puts me on a pedestal.   Just because I have a  disability  does not mean  that I am  always good.  I have made lots of mistakes, just like everyone else.  I am just a human being trying to have  a good life according to my family values.