The feeling that swept through my 3- or 4-year-old self remains with me to this day. My parents invited the young driver of a cattle truck stranded by the storm to stay in our home.Įveryone thought I was asleep that night, but I saw the man naked when he was bathing in our round, metal tub. When I was 3 or 4 years old, a snowstorm closed the highway that ran through our small farming community. I haven’t always been old or crippled, but I have always, always, been queer. In my eighties now, I use a wheelchair to get around. Spina Bifida didn’t begin to cripple me until my late fifties, and even then, my limp was barely noticeable.īut by 65, I was walking with a cane, and from then on it got progressively worse: I went from one cane to two canes, then two canes and a leg brace, then crutches and two leg braces and orthotics. I was born with spina bifida but had the mildest form of it there is. I’ll start here by describing my disability. Being old is another, and being crippled is yet another. ![]() Queer, Old and Crippled: One Person’s Lifeīeing queer is one thing. While the author uses “crippled” to describe his disability identity, Easterseals does not use this word to describe disabled people. He has generously agreed to let us publish it here on the Easterseals blog.Įditor’s Note: At Easterseals, we believe in giving disabled and LGBTQ+ people the space to share their stories authentically, with the language of their choosing to describe their identities and experiences. ![]() Bill Gordon, an 86-year-old in one of my classes, came back with a very personal essay about what it’s like to be growing older now as a gay and disabled American. June is Pride Month, so I assigned “Pride” as a prompt for class this week. And for me, leading those classes is a pleasure: I get to know each writer very well simply by listening to the stories read out loud in class each week. Writers in those classes tell me that writing a story at home to bring to class each week keeps their brains working. When I’m not writing posts for the Easterseals blog, I keep busy leading three different memoir-writing classes every week for older adults here in Chicago. I am also the high school assistant principal, so I am invested in this community and this program.From Beth Finke, a regular contributor for Easterseals: My name is Mike Moran, and I am the Community Education Director. Hello, and welcome to the Starpoint Community Education webpage. Turn right past the Intermediate Playground into that parking lot.Follow the bus loop, past the Fricano building (on your right).Enter through the lobby doors, next to the new cafeteria.Park in the large lot, nearest the new Middle School Cafeteria.Walk straight, past the gym and Dale Askey Courtyard, and turn right at the end of the hallway.Enter the "Fine Arts and Athletics" Entrance.Enter the "Starpoint High School" Main Entrance.You can click on the maps to enlarge them. The maps below will help you with parking and where to enter the building. There are four main points of entrance to the building, depending on where your class is being taught. Use your Phone to Register - click or scan the QR code below. Then register using the link in the left pane of this website. Use your Computer to Register - click the link at the bottom of the page to view the. ![]() Paper Catalog and Paper Registration - click on the links at the bottom of the page OR you can pick up a paper catalog and registration form at the High School: Driveway D, entrance #5.
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