‘NORMAL’ was something I kind of despised
when I was younger (& undiagnosed). I’d always remember this conversation I
had with my student(s):
A student(s): Miss Lee, you are so…
hmm… (uncertain) strange!
Me: THANKS FOR SAYING THAT! I hate
being just ‘normal’. (big grin)
Well I certainly enjoyed being different! It
was not just my dress sense I suppose, think it was everything else I could
manage then – even my fingernails & toe nails! I remember doing a lot of my
own prettifying (read: Sally Hansen ‘Salon Effects’). See some of my DIYs
below:
So in terms of my dressing, I was also into
wearing neon colours, bold prints, asymmetrical designs featuring cut-outs and
extra layers with “cool’ looking folds etc. Yes, I was vain. VERY VAIN.
Therefore, in conjunction with that, my attitude
and behaviour in/outside of the classroom as a teacher must duly be LOUD &
PROUD. Ha ha~
But now, I work SO VERY hard everyday to be
‘normal’.
I’d like to appear as normal as possible
despite my ataxia. However, it’s not easy for me not to draw attention to myself
with my wheelchair, incomprehensible speech, incontrollably loud choking (on
top of my retarded eating) and occasional breathlessness.. oh there are other
countless symptoms regarding this ataxia but I shall not elaborate on them yet.
I might do so later…
