Monday, February 27, 2012

media/meme monday - how to hold twins one-handed



  I have an announcement to make! Drumroll please...

  Two of my cousins are expecting babies! Yay! Babies are my favorite thing in the world! And they're both due this summer! Okay, now before I get carried away in all the excitement, I should probably admit that I'm a bit nervous about babysitting not one but TWO newborns. I mean, I've had plenty of experience with infants (remember my little cousin Luke, who will now be a big brother?), but I've only ever had to care for one at a time. How will I even hold both babies with one-and-a-half arms? 

  Thankfully, Ryan Haack from Living One-Handed made a video specifically on this topic. Watch and learn how he single-handedly (yes, I make really lame puns) holds two beautiful twin babies! 

Friday, February 24, 2012

cool things for one-handers



 

Check out my Pinterest board of my favorite products for one-handed folks! 




Peace,
Caitlin :)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

awkward stares



  Okay, I have a confession to make. I know I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of how people react when they see someone with a disability. They tend to either stare openly or try to take a discreet peek at what exactly makes the other person so different. And of course, they look very uncomfortable. Like I've said, those kinds of things annoy me. But here's what I've figured out quite recently: I am one of those people.

  Yes, I admit it. I get all awkward when encountering another person with a disability. I guess I've always known this, but the moment that it became really clear to me occurred a couple days ago. I was waiting for my bus when a man in a wheelchair made his way across the sidewalk in front of me. It was one of those cool motorized wheelchairs so, needless to say, he looked pretty badass. For some reason, though, he made me very nervous. I was so afraid to even look his way because I knew that he would (not incorrectly) assume that I was staring at him because he was in a wheelchair. As a disabled person myself, I know firsthand (haha, it's a pun!) how annoying people's rude stares can be. So I'd hate to subject someone else to something I don't want done to me. That's sort of hypocritical. Still, it's hard NOT to look. I'm not used to seeing others who are so different.

  That's the thing about obvious disabilities - they're different. And different equals interesting. People are naturally drawn to things that are unconventional and/or strange. That's why celebrities all try to outdo each other in weirdness. It's the reason why Lady Gaga wore a meat dress and Katy Perry dyed her hair pink. Being different draws attention. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, the stares can be obnoxious sometimes, especially when I just feel like blending in with the rest of the world. But I find comfort in knowing that Lady Gaga would kill to be part-bionic like me. After all, she's already performed on crutches and in a wheelchair. I mean, I consider that a compliment!



  So, to the man with the cool wheelchair who caught me looking, I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable. But I really hope that one day, you too will take it as a compliment.

Peace,
Caitlin :)




(Images of Lady Gaga from whatever sites Google Images directed me to)


Monday, February 20, 2012

media/meme monday - limb difference ryan gosling


  While checking out one of my favorite blogs, Born Just Right (which follows mom-blogger Jen Lee Reeves and her adorable daughter Jordan, who was born with one hand), I came across this lovely image of Ryan Gosling. For those of you who don't know who he is, I highly suggest you go rent The Notebook and Crazy, Stupid, Love. He's probably the most handsome man in Hollywood, and I'm pretty sure every girl my age still harbors a little crush on Noah Calhoun and his unfailing love for the aging Allie Hamilton. (Pause here for dreamy sigh.) 

  Anyway, Ryan has sparked a myriad of memes on popular sites like Tumblr and Facebook. People basically find a picture of him and add a flirty message beginning with "Hey girl." So it's like Ryan Gosling is hitting on you, get it? 

  People have made everything from Med School Ryan Gosling to my personal favorite, Catholic Ryan Gosling. And now, Jen from Born Just Right has created Limb Deficiency Ryan Gosling! Isn't that AWESOME?! So enjoy the above photo and check out the others on her blog.

Peace,
Caitlin :)

Monday, February 13, 2012

media monday - fantasia 2000's the steadfast tin soldier


  Okay, so let me start by saying that I've never been a big fan of Disney's Fantasia movies. But this segment, which actually didn't make into any of the films, is pretty awesome. My abuela used to read me Hans Christian Andersen's "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" all the time when I was little. And, while it deviates from the original, this short clip certainly does the story justice. It's about a one-legged toy soldier that falls in love with a ballerina doll. But that's all I'm going to say. I'll let you watch it for yourself.

Peace,

Caitlin :)

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

tuesdays with mari and the rest of the gang

  Hello and happy Tuesday! It's been an interesting day so far. An incident that occurred this morning has made me realize that I've probably forgotten to disclose some pretty big information to anyone reading this blog: how my short arm came to be the way it is. I was at work talking to some co-workers (the fabulous Mari, Alyssa, and Liz) when a former employee moseyed on in and struck up a conversation with us. One of his first comments upon meeting me was about my arm. He wanted to know why I was wearing a single black silk glove a la Michael Jackson. (The reason for that, in case you're wondering, is because the "skin" of the prosthetic attracts ink from newspapers/magazines/books/anything and gets really dark, which makes me look like a white girl with a black girl's arm.) Anyway, the guy looked pretty embarrassed and uncomfortable after I told him that the arm was fake. Once he got over that, though, he asked me how I "lost" it. That's when the girls I work with admitted that they had always wondered about it but were too nervous about potentially offending me to ask. I find that really funny, since I've known them for so long. So here's the story for anyone who's too shy to ask me!

  While I'd love to tell you a super cool story about a dangerous encounter with a vicious tiger or something like that, the reality is pretty boring: I was born this way. That's really all I know about it. My mom had a perfectly healthy pregnancy (despite miscarrying two other babies at the time, since I was supposed to be a triplet.) She didn't do anything weird or unusual, and she wasn't exposed to any crazy chemicals or radioactive stuff. My arm was a complete surprise. It just never developed into a normal arm, I guess.

  My parents had me fitted for my first prosthetic when I was three months old. I've been wearing an artificial arm ever since. I only really use it when I'm in public, though. It's way too uncomfortable and annoying to wear when I'm around my family or people I know well. The one you usually see me with is purely cosmetic, meaning it doesn't do anything. The one I have at home is Myoelectric and opens/closes like a real flesh-and-blood arm. So yeah, I'm part bionic.  :)

  That's basically the whole story. There's nothing tragic or inspirational about it. It is what it is. Oh, and please don't ever be nervous about asking me questions. I'm NOT easily offended, not unless you start to pity me. (Pity's just one of those useless sentiments that does no one any good. I've got a GREAT life, so you don't need to feel bad for me because I naturally weigh two or so fewer pounds (or however much a forearm weighs) than the average girl my height and pay half-price for manicures. Really, I'm doing well.) I'd actually prefer it if you asked me about my arm. I get it - you're curious. That's human. So go ahead and ask so that you don't feel awkward around me. After all, it's just another quality that makes me me. I have brown eyes, curly hair, and one arm. It's not a bad thing, but it IS different. And it's totally natural to want to know more about something that's different.

Peace,
Caitlin :)

Monday, February 6, 2012

media monday - the butterfly circus


"The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph."


I know this video is a bit long, but it's wonderful so I couldn't not share it. That's all I'm going to say about it, though, because I don't want to ruin it for you.


Check out this site to find out more about the film. Happy watching!




Peace,
Caitlin :)