A Fairy Princess Halloween!

Last night my daughter's ballet class had a Halloween party. The whole family was invited to watch.

She's been trick-or-treating for three years now. The first year she was a princess. Last year she was a fairy. And this year... a fairy princess!

I knew princesses were popular, but I had no idea how popular. There are 17 girls in her ballet class. We had a Minnie Mouse, a pirate, a witch, and no kidding, 14 variations of the princess.

Each of the Disney princesses were represented at least once. We had a mermaid princess, a Snow Princess, and at least six fairy princesses. They went around the circle, each describing their costume.

A few seconds later the pirate explained that she was a pirate princess. Not to be outdone, the witch called herself an evil Princess. Poor Minnie Mouse looked like an outcast!

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Personal Space: an invisible disability

The worst part about being disabled for me may surprise you. In a previous post I invited you to share your thoughts about disability. (See: The Worst Part of Being Disabled)

I face numerous frustrating challenges on a daily basis. I'm constantly dependent on others. I need help bathing and dressing. I can't drive, cook, hold a book or feed myself. I rely on family, employees, technology and the goodwill of others. Some days it's frustrating, but I've learned through experience how to manage all this help.

Other frustrations are attitudinal barriers. Today I live very comfortably and have a high family income. I'm an entrepreneur, but not because of my unquenchable desire to build businesses, but because very few companies would be willing to give me a job. I made the decision more than 15 years ago that I could build a business easier than I could find a job, so that's what I did.

My single biggest frustration however isn't getting the help I need or overco…

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People who died on the toilet (real people and fictional characters)

Famous people who died on the toilet. Here is an extensive list of real people who died on the throne. Elvis Presley died of an overdose, falling off the toilet into a pile of his own vomit. Judy Garland died of an overdose discovered slumped over her toilet. King George II of Britain suffered a heart attack while sitting on the toilet. Wenceslaus III of Bohemia assassinated with a spear while he sat on the toilet. Godfrey IV, Duke of Lower Lorraine, was attacked by an assassin while sitting on the toilet. He died a week after the attack. Japanese warlord Uesugi Kenshin was assassinated with a spear while sitting on the toilet. British author Evelyn Waugh, who coincidently also married a woman named Evelyn, died on his toilet. Some believe he drowned in it, however his official cause of death was heart failure. Famed architect Louis Kahn suffered a heart attack and died on the toilet in New York City’s Penn station. One of the early Christian preachers, Arius, had been condemned as a…

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The Worst Part of Being Disabled

The central character of my novel is a wheelchair user. I know that's no big surprise.

It's important to me, however, that I'm able to relate the experience of severe disability to a universal audience. I want to make sure the character expresses his worldview in a powerful way.

For example, you can close your eyes, but that doesn't help you truly understand blindness.

Every so often I hear about some sociology professor who gives everyone a disability for a day. People come up to me and tell me how they learned to understand my limitations and frustrations because they borrowed a wheelchair and went to the mall. If they want to understand my frustrations, they should borrow a wheelchair and go to a job interview.

Whether you have been disabled your entire life, or spent your life in perfect physical condition, I want to get your perceptions on true disability.

What do you feel is the worst part about being disabled? Please be very specific. You can choose any disability, …

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SunFyre...words from a seated position

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