Photo courtesy of Kevin Lawver
A few years ago I would travel quite often between school in BC and work on a First Nations reserve in Alberta. My road to discovering my own superpower and using it to empower my life truly begins with this journey.
Moving across a province for four months when you do not know anyone on the other side can be one of the most terrifying experiences. I was terrified. When I arrived at my temporary new home, my fears were soon assuaged as I was made welcome like a lost daughter come home at last. My first day I was brought to a local community event for Mother’s Day and met with elders and soon-to-be-friends, who would be my family for my time there and beyond. I shared a great deal of my life with my new family and they shared stories of their pasts with me.
Some of these stories were traditional stories, some were heartwarming stories of their families, and occasionally there were stories about time spent within the residential school system. The latter were the hardest to listen to, yet also ended up being the most instrumental in my own self-discovery.
So why am I speaking of all of this? Some of the individuals I spoke with had struggled with disabilities, some as a result of what had happened during their childhoods, but they all had one thing in common: They had all developed a superpower as a result.
Courtesy of Tessa Taylor
The remarkable dedication that these people had in using their superpower to aid their community was instrumental in my own development of seeing my disability in a new light, and helped me redefine it as a superpower rather than something which had more negative connotations.
These incredible storytellers, and others from around the world, have helped me come forward through the #SuperVoices project. It’s been incredible to be a part of such a strong community of people sharing their superpowers. We would like you to invite you to also take partake, sharing the story of your superpower through Realwheels’ #SuperVoices initiative. Stories can be told in a myriad of ways through social media, including using the #SuperVoices hashtag on Twitter and Instagram, or by posting your story on the WheelVoices Facebook page or G+ Community. You may also email it to Realwheels directly at: realwheelstheatre@gmail.com. Tell your story using your own preferred technique: illustrations, videos or written word.
We look discovering more about your story and superpowers!
Leave a Reply