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Well, we pitched into the Google war, battling the negative with the positive, one hopes. We shared outside of our community and we bantered, again and more, within the community. For my own blog, I only accomplished 20 for 21 this year instead of 31 for 21. But I am very thankful to Big Blueberry Eyes for the challenge and the host. Well Played! 
I’m breakin’ the rules today. Yes, I’m a rebel to my own rule. I’m writing with plenty of loud, melancholy pop music playing in my headphones. I don’t usually write with music that has words, cause well, words. But it’s Free Write Friday and that means we’re all about rule breaking. Ha! This melancholy music, and my favorite flavor coffee in hand, I’m surprisingly cheerful today.
I don’t know if I’ve told you, but one of the reasons I do this whole Free Write
Alright Friends! Here we go. It’s Down syndrome Awareness Month and we’ve got things to share!
Let’s kick it off with a revamp of “The Good Life” which was shared this morning by The Mighty.
On a recent road trip to central Nebraska, my son, Marcus, leaned back and sighed, “This is the good life.” That particular weekend there was much ado about Nebraska’s slogan, “The Good Life,” with talk of change. So I smiled in agreement while my mind wandered over the parallel
Down Syndrome Awareness MonthI don’t know about you, but I’ve learned so much this month! And I still have several blogs bookmarked to read yet.
For example Michelle, the champion of the 31 for 21 campaign, talked early in the month about left handedness being a common trait in people with Down syndrome. More common than the general public. Marcus is left handed. I think that’s very interesting. She also talked a little about a special cognitive test
Recently, Marcus and I spoke at an educational event held at UNO in Omaha, hosted by our local Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands.
We shared advocacy videos and stories told about and with advocates, focused on the ideas and “voice” of self-advocates, and the power of good storytelling.
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Here is a list of the links we shared, plus several others we promised to share: the Advocacy Links we shared in the session. (Click to download the list via a word doc to your computer.)
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While you’re here, some extra’s! The short blog that went
When I was a kid, if you missed your favorite holiday show on TV, you missed it FOR A WHOLE YEAR. Can you remember those days? or for some of you, imagine those days?
When Marcus was little (and he was little for a long time) one Halloween season I remember noting the night “The Great Pumpkin” was going to air. I marked it on my calander as a do not miss. I made a commitment that Marcus and I would enjoy “The Great Pumpkin” together like I did when I was a kid.
Most nights,
I’m #SurprisedNotSurprised at how many families tell me that Halloween is a favorite holiday, especially for people with Down syndrome. We could wax theories, compare stereotypical and atypical attitudes about the drama, the costumes, the candy, the alter-ego (villain and super-hero), opportunities to roam the streets in a judgement free zone, or – OR we could just recognize that Halloween is a fun holiday that allows for people
If you have an adult loved one who has Down syndrome, I’m guessing you have read “IF PEOPLE WITH DOWN SYNDROME RULED THE WORLD” by Dennis McGuire, PhD. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend reading the whole thing, but here’s an excerpt as a sneak peek:
Music
- Elvis, The Beatles, and the Beach Boys would still be number 1 on the hit
Roughly 27 years ago the universe looked over my resume, took into account my previous experience, my qualifications, and my goals and gave me a job that I was totally – I mean utterly – unqualified for.
Parent.
And as an added bonus and complete surprise, the universe also immediately promoted me, as a show of good faith, to the role of “special needs parent.”
The application process was cleverly disguised, I won’t bore you with those details but the final result was a new lifelong job with
Marcus is excited to share Black Day: The Monster Rock Band October 1st in IL, what a great way to start Halloween month! Oh, and also #DSAM16. Have you registered? Registration is open until Sept 16th. Marcus will be sharing his animated short and also partnering with me to teach about storytelling. We hope to see you there!
