It’s always been a dream of mine to write a book. I’ve been told numerous times “You have such a unique story to tell! You should write a book!” and for a while that was hard for me to grasp because, to me, I’ve always just felt like your average girl, that just so happens to have been born with a disability. I always seem to revert back to this idea of, who cares what I have to say? So though I had this dream within me, I never thought I had anything interesting enough to say.
But the more I shared my writings on social media and received supportive feedback, the more I fell in love with it and gained confidence in my creative skills. Though it wasn’t actually until I confided in my best friend about this hesitancy I’d felt and she told me “I think all creatives have this when they’re on the brink of something good, it just means you care!,” that I truly felt like maybe she was right, that maybe I just needed to go for it.
Many years into my writing career, I was starting to feel discouraged because I wasn’t receiving the opportunities that I once believed would come easily, so I came to this realization that if I wanted to accomplish this dream of mine, I’d have to take matters into my own hands. And so, at the beginning of this year I set intentions for myself that by summertime I would self-publish a book. It was more than a goal, but a promise I intended to keep to myself. Finally on July 10th, I did just that, and published my debut poetry book.
Not even a power outage could take away my joy in sharing my debut book with the world!
This book is a mix of raw honest narratives from my perspective, not only as a young woman trying to navigate life but as a proud person with a disability, as well as some fictional creative writing pieces. Because I find inspiration everywhere—in the falling autumn leaves, under the warmth of the scorching summer sun, in every melody of music I listen to—and everything I create, even fictional, is a piece of my soul that I am giving away.
This book is about getting to know myself and finding my true calling through the artistic outlet of written expression. It’s about navigating the chaos of life in your teenage years and your early twenties, about womanhood, and overcoming adversity. It’s about the great value I place on all the relationships I’m lucky enough to have in my life—the only type of relationships I’ve ever known up to this point in my life—my loving family and my cherished friendships. It’s about being human, one who has both good and bad days, and about self-love.
This book is for those that look like me, who can relate to my life experiences as a person with a disability. It’s for those that share with me an appreciation for literature, who like to get lost in storytelling and live vicariously through dream worlds with fictional characters. It is for all my fellow chronically single hopeless romantics and for the empaths, those who see the beauty in the natural world—in life and in every human connection on this planet.
This is by far the scariest, most vulnerable thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I’m ecstatic to share my first project of hopefully many more to come in the future. So, I guess all there’s left to say is: If I bare my soul, will you listen?
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, it’s only right that I highlight the achievements of the fierce females who, this year alone, have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations of girls with a dream.
The first all-women Navy flyover in the Super Bowl
The fly-over team for Super Bowl LVII includes, from left to right, Lt. Arielle Ash of Abilene, Texas; Lt. Margaret Dente of North Salem, New York; Lt. Naomi Ngalle of Springfield, Virginia; Lt. Jacqueline Drew of Waltham, Massachusetts; Lt. Suzelle Thomas of Birmingham, Alabama; and, Lt. Kathryn Martinez, also of Springfield, Virginia. (U.S. Navy Office of Information)
On February 12, 2023, history was made at the Super Bowl, and it wasn’t by the male athletes. Prior to kickoff and following the singing of the National Anthem, a team of all women piloted the US Navy flyover. This was to commemorate 50 years since women were allowed to be Navy pilots. Lt. Arielle Ash and Lt. Saree Moreno, who led the diamond formation, spoke on this honor. “It’s definitely a huge honor to be asked to do this and to celebrate those women that have paved this way for all of us,” said Ash. Moreno added, “I think it’s a message not just to young girls, but to young people that they can do whatever they set their mind to…And if they want to be a jet pilot, that is well within possibility for them.” These heroic ladies exude pride in their service to this country and in their position as women in the military. They deserve honor not only for having to prove their value in a field that, even still, consists of mostly men, but for being a part of history at one of the world’s most-watched sporting events.
From left to right: Julia Morales (Astros), Jen Mueller (Mariners), Angie Mentink (Mariners), Jenny Cavnar (Rockies), were the on-air voices serving as play-by-play announcer, analyst and sideline reporters during the Mariners vs. Rockies Spring Training game on March 11, 2023.
During the 2023 Spring Training, ROOT SPORTS Network gathered women reporters from various baseball teams and networks to come together and hold its first-ever game broadcasted completely by women. While this was not a first for MLB, these ladies cemented their names into history by becoming just the second fully female broadcast crew. Cavnar reflected on this opportunity by saying “I think just walking around a baseball clubhouse or walking around fields at Spring Training and being able to see several women in several different areas—it is so refreshing, and it just goes to show you the hard work that a lot of us have put in for decades is spreading.” For decades female sports reporters have had to work hard to be taken seriously and prove their proficiency in working for a men’s sport. This move by ROOT SPORTS Network was a step in the right direction for future knowledgable, sports-loving ladies. Prior to the game, Mueller stated “It’ll just be female voices that are leading those conversations. And I think that’s an important thing, because we all have different points of view. But also, it shows people that it’s possible and that it’s normal.” These respected reporters are living proof that women aren’t going away anytime soon in the world of sports.
Michelle Yeoh becomes the first Asian woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Michelle Yeoh accepts the best actress award for Everything Everywhere All at Once onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. Kevin Winter/Getty Images
While her career spans many decades, actress Michelle Yeoh is finally receiving her rightful recognition, at the age of 60. Following the release of the film Everything Everywhere All at Once just over a year ago, the screenplay quickly began receiving many accolades. For her role in the film as Evelyn, a first-generation Chinese immigrant and owner of a laundromat, she previously won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. Yeoh then went on to make history with her win at the 95th Academy Awards for the same role. On March 12, 2023, by winning an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, she became the first Asian woman to win in such category as well as the first-ever Malaysian-born actress to win in any category at the Academy Awards. Yeoh, who is known to perform many of her own stunts in her action films, including her latest, has worked tirelessly throughout her career to make a name for herself, not only as an Asian, but a woman in a male-dominated industry, and it seems to finally be paying off. In her acceptance speech she professed, “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that…dream big, and dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up. This leading lady is certainly an inspiration to aspiring actors and actresses alike.
Watch Michelle Yeoh’s full acceptance speech here
Honorable Mention: Judy Heumann
Special Advisor on Disability Rights for the US State Department Judy Heumann at her office in Washington, DC on November 8, 2010.
While this activists’ contributions go beyond just this year, it would be a disservice to the disabled community if I failed to mention this inspiring woman, who sadly passed away on March 4, 2023. I’ve already once written about her on this blog in discussing the Disability Rights Movement and the summer camp she and others attended, Camp Jened, featured in the 2020 Netflix documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. Heumann, who contracted polio at age 2, devoted her life to advocacy for the rights of those with a disability. At the age of 5, she was denied the right to attend school because she was considered a “fire hazard”. She recounts this time in her memoir, Being Heumann, writing “Kids with disabilities were considered a hardship, economically and socially”. As an adult, she was denied a teaching license after failing her medical exam, even though she passed her oral and written exams. After suing the Board of Education, she was able to become the first teacher who was a wheelchair user in the state of New York. During President Obama’s presidency, he appointed Judy as the first Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State, where she served from 2010-2017. Heumann was a key leader who, through her activism and protesting, helped the passage of multiple laws for the disabled community such as Section 504, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. While discussing the lack of authentic disability representation and inclusion in films in a 2021 interview, she argued “They need to be bringing disabled people to the table in the development of their materials, and they need to be hiring disabled people for a part or all aspects of the work…Ultimately, it’s not just about looking at more Crip Camps and more films on disability, but it’s really also about understanding that disabled people, both on the sets and off, have much to contribute around disability, but also in general.” While we’ve seemingly made progress in recent years, we surely have a long ways to go. The tireless efforts of her and others who fought for the rights of the disabled community is not lost on me. She is a prime example that we’re all “Heumann”.
Judy Huemann, amongst others, protesting during the Disability Rights Movement
All these stellar woman who have made waves in their respective industries are just some of many that make me proud to be a woman!
》 Faith It ‘til You Make It 《 