Moving forward with Martin Luther King

Quadriplegic evangelist Joni Eareckson Tada sings an Oscar-nominated song ("Alone, Yet Not Alone")

An important message to journalists

My birthday speech from June 2013

As 2013 draws to a close, I'd like to share a speech I delivered on the big birthday bash I had more than six months ago. This is the first time I'm sharing it with people outside of the party environment. I think this speech is also a good way to close out the year. See you next year.

Hi, thank you all for coming to my 40^th birthday Open House. Just to let you know, this speech is going to be 40 minutes long...

First of all, I want to thank my parents for allowing me to give them the best 40 years of their lives. I know they couldn’t have functioned without me. I believe my life would be very different without them.

Throughout my life I have been motivated to seek new challenges and build a social network. This was long before there was ever a Facebook. I am proud of the many acknowledgements and achievements I’ve received. What I’m most proud of is being able to experience many things and make the most of what I have. I’m also happy to have been able to persevere through all the good and bad times. I look forward to whatever lies ahead, both personally and professionally.

(At this point, I take a few minutes saying thanks and expressing gratitude and appreciation to all the guests. I address them all individually, and tell them how much they have meant to me over the years.) 

A few days ago, another relative of mine, who isn’t here today, emailed me and wrote, “Time speaks to us as your 40th birthday will. 40 is the end of youth, but it is on the youthful side of old age.” This may be true, but I intend on keeping the energy and spirit of youth in me alive for as long as possible. I don’t want to grow up to the point of losing my sense of fun and spontaneity. I wish to maximize what I have, and share it with others.

I am blessed and thankful for having reached this milestone, and also for all the days that came before. I hope we will continue to maintain strong ties for the next 10 years, if not the next 40.

My thoughts on the changes to Disney's park policies

Last October, Disneyland and Walt Disney World made major changes to their park policies in regards to servicing visitors with disabilities. I've been asked to give my thoughts on this situation since I happen to be a person with a physical disability. To this day I'm not sure I'm the most informed person to comment on this confusing situation. I can only go by the two days I spent at the original Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California earlier this month.

First I will explain what brought about these changes. They resulted from some people with disabilities, allegedly, who hired wealthy people to abuse the privilege of jumping past the line-ups for the rides. (I say 'allegedly' because some of these people may not have been legitimately disabled, but I can't make these judgments since I wasn't there.)

When I got there two weeks ago, I did not experience any ill treatment from park staff. The only thing that made me squirm was getting photographed by a staff member when my parents and I were entering the Disney California Adventure park. Taking photos of guests is standard procedure for everybody, and I think it has to do with matters of security.

The Disney parks and resorts in California, Florida and France, based on my personal (and limited) observations, have treated me well. It's true I'm no longer allowed to skip through the lines, as a result of these changes, but I'm okay with that. I want to be treated as an equal everywhere I go.

I didn't go on many rides during my second-ever visit to Disneyland, but let's face it, I'm older than I was the first time and am not the same physically as I was in my younger days.

Some attractions do not require people to transfer out of their wheelchairs due to the availability of modified carts. This includes It's a Small World, my all-time favourite. That was the first attraction we went to in the original Disneyland park during our second full day in Anaheim.

One criticism I have are the high ticket prices. They keep going up every year. I agree with people who aren't planning to go on rides ought to be charged a smaller ticket price. It's a complicated issue, and I don't have all the answers or solutions. Most theme parks do not offer much price flexibility, so this is seen as another standard practice.

Chances are I will not be visiting Disneyland again in the near future. It's not due to any feelings of animosity or resentment. It is a matter of personal economics. In the event I have a family of my own (and a better personal income), I will find a way to return.

I loved being at Disneyland again, and I have no regrets about going back.

Roy Orbison remembered, 25 years later

A classic Nelson Mandela quote (courtesy of Tesh.com)