There are at least 10 positive things to remember about SA/CRS. The list may vary from person to person, but challenging yourself to come up with a list is a great activity for building self-esteem. Here is an example of a list of 10 good things from iSACRA’s president, Jessica Rogers
- Having SA/CRS typically doesn’t impact your brain. I’m an honor student. I take advanced classes. I don’t think having SA/CRS is going to limit me educationally or vocationally.
- Having SA/CRS does get you noticed. Yes, that can be a bad thing, but only if you make it bad. You can also make that a good thing. I figure if I’m in line for a job interview with 200 other applicants, the employer is going to remember who I am. Whether I get hired or not, I will have at least made an impression.
- And speaking of impressions, having SA/CRS gives me an opportunity to teach people something just by being around—teaching them that people look different, but still can be very capable. Once we went on a cruise. There was a “Miss Biceps” competition. Okay, I know they were looking for the hot chic in a bikini, but when it comes to biceps, that’s me. So, I entered. Turns out, to win, the contestants had to do push-ups. I did 50. No part of my body touched the mat except my hands the entire time. Nobody else could do 50 push-ups. So, I showed everyone that having what they think of as a “disability” sometimes actually gives me an advantage.
- So, in that way, just by being me, I contribute to the world’s diversity, and diversity is a good thing. Just think what a boring world it would be if we all looked the same. What if all birds were sparrows? What if all dogs were poodles? Being different gives me something to say that other people haven’t thought of from my perspective but that might be important for consideration.
- Don’t let me forget to say that you get great parking spaces when you use a wheelchair, and you don’t have to stand in line either. You always have a comfortable chair right with you.
- Because I have SA/CRS, I can fit in really small spaces, which comes in handy when somebody needs me to get something from under a bed. And because I have SA/CRS, I’m able to get down close to the ground, which comes in handy when people drop things because I can easily spot the missing item. There are quite a few ways in which my physical shape and stature give me the advantage. I can beat anyone at hide and seek.
- Because I have to learn to adapt things, I become adaptable. I am a skilled problem solver because I have had a lot of practice solving problems. If I could figure out how to get a door open when I was 4 and only about 4 inches tall (okay, a little taller than that), I can figure out just about anything.
- There is no hiding my condition, but really, that’s a pretty good screening tool. If people are going to like me, they are going to like me for who I am, not for some fake reason. And the people I’d rather have as friends are the ones who are real friends.
- Having a unique and pretty rare condition connects me with people all over the world who have the same condition. I can get to know and connect to people because we have something in common, even when we are on opposite sides of the world.
- I hardly ever outgrow anything, so I can get clothes on sale at the end of the season, and they will still fit next year.
Can you come up with 10 good things about SA/CRS?