What Do You Want To Achieve With This Blog?

I want to change the world. At least part of it.

That's the response I give when someone asks me, "What exactly do you want to achieve with this blog?"

When I close my eyes I can see myself in a large, open roofed stadium filled with people who I invited to attend. The sky is clear and bright. I hear an airplane soaring overhead.

There are community leaders, employers, doctors, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, caretakers, young and adult children, neighbors, friends, lawyers, legislators, school principals, art, speech, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, county workers, special educators, mainstream teachers, writers, educational assistants, clergy, camp directors, and personal care attendants.

They have come from around the world.

As I stand on the field I look up and see thousands of people staring back at me.

I take a deep breath and let the words of my vision slowly spill, word by word, off my tongue.

We are here today to change how we define ability through conversations and stories of advocacy, triumph, and promise.

We are here to listen and honor each others' perspectives through conversations and stories -- personal stories about our life experiences. We are here to listen to and honor stories of advocates who have been vulnerable and courageous to bring about change. We are hear to listen to and honor stories of individuals who triumphed when sometimes not expected to, and we are here to listen and honor stories of promise and potential. Stories that will be told only because we will listen to and honor each other.

There are conversations and stories about challenges and lost dreams, despair and grief, closed minds and obstacles. There are conversations and stories about bravery and new goals, hope and moving forward, inclusive attitudes and open doors.

Each person present commits to this vision and together we create a plan to increase awareness, educate, share ideas, solve complex problems, and bring about historic changes in attitudes, policies, and practices. Each person commits to make this happen in their local communities and in the broader world.

With my eyes still shut tight I see us again five years later gathered again this time to assess what we have accomplished.

We know we have succeeded because words used to describe people like retard, dimwit, moron, lame, slow, imbecile, spazz, spazzy, spastic, disabled, handicapped, cripple, gimp, midget, schizo, and mental have been replaced with words like smart, thoughtful, methodical, sensitive, energetic, cautious, creative, and able.

We know we've succeeded because people are looked at more for what they can do and their potential is discovered. Children and adults get services based on their needs. Individuals who were excluded from are now included in schools, sports, and community activities. Children, once overlooked, get invited over for playdates, birthday parties, and sleepovers. Those who want to attend college get into schools of their choice. Employers look at traits and skills that can be attributed to neurological differences as positive and proactively recruit to bring that diverse thinking into the workforce.

The ice maker in the kitchen startles me and I open my eyes. I glance down at my computer screen.

No. I don't have a stadium but I do have this blog, Seasons of Potential, as the vehicle for these changes

Let's make this vision happen. Together. Here's how we can do it. One step at a time.

• Subscribe to the blog.
• Comment on posts to start the conversation. Check back and see where the conversation has gone. Add to the conversation stream if you have more thoughts
• Share posts with others.
• Encourage others to subscribe to the blog and join the conversation.
• Consider writing a guest post about a topic you find important.
• Recommend an app, a book, a dvd or podcast, a product, store, web-site, blog, and/or facebook page.
• Watch for people who look for the potential in others and let us know about them.
• Model the principles we are asking others to model.
• Listen to and honor other's stories.
• Take action.

And once we are successful we will have changed the world. All of us together. At least part of it.

That's what I want to achieve.

Not sure how to make a comment? Blogger Help has a nice article on how to do it.
Subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.