as small as a world and as large as alone, eccentrickimmy1: You Get Proud By Practicing by...

5:32pm June 19, 2014

eccentrickimmy1:

You Get Proud By Practicingby Laura Hershey, poet & Disability Rights activist“If you are not proudFor who you are, for what you say, for how you look;If every time you stopTo think of yourself, you do not see yourself glowingWith golden light; do not, therefore, give up on yourself.You can get proud.You do not needA better body, a purer spirit, or a Ph.D.To be proud.You do not needA lot of money, a handsome boyfriend, or a nice car.You do not needTo be able to walk, or see, or hear,Or use big, complicated words,Or do any of those things that you just can’t doTo be proud. A caseworkerCannot make you proud,Or a doctor.You only need more practice.You get proud by practicing.There are many many ways to get proud.You can try riding a horse, or skiing on one leg,Or playing guitar,And do well or not so well,And be glad you triedEither way.You can showSomething you’ve madeTo someone you respectAnd be happy with it no matterWhat they say.You can sayWhat you think, though you knowOther people do not think the same way, and you cankeep saying it, even if they tell youYou are crazy.You can add your voiceAll night to the voicesOf a hundred and fifty othersIn a circleAround a jailhouseWhere your brothers and sisters are being heldFor blocking buses with no lifts,Or you can be one of the onesInside the jailhouse,Knowing of the circle outside.You can speak your loveTo a friendWithout fear.You can find someone who will listen to youWithout judging you or doubting you or beingAfraid of youAnd let you hear yourself perhapsFor the very first time.These are all waysOf getting proud.None of themAre easy, but all of themAre possible. You can do all of these things,Or just one of them again and again.You get proudBy practicing.Power makes you proud, and powerComes in many fine formsSupple and rich as butterfly wings.It is musicwhen you practice opening your mouthAnd liking what you hearBecause it is the sound of your ownTrue voice.It is sunlightWen you practice seeingStrength and beauty in everyone,Including yourself.It is dancewhen you practice knowingThat what you doAnd the way you do itIs the right way for youAnd cannot be called wrong.All these holdMore power than weapons or moneyOr lies.All these practices bring power, and powerMakes you proud.You get proudBy practicing.Remember, you weren’t the oneWho made you ashamed,But you are the oneWho can make you proud.Just practice,Practice until you get proud, and once you are proud,Keep practicing so you won’t forget.You get proudBy practicing.”Image Description: Peach/Pink background with faint yellow circles of various sizes centered. Dark purple text reads: "Remember, you weren’t the oneWho made you ashamed,But you are the oneWho can make you proud.Just practice,Practice until you get proud, and once you are proud,Keep practicing so you won’t forget.You get proudBy practicing.- Laura Hershey”facebook.com/autismwomensnetwork

You Get Proud By Practicing
by Laura Hershey, poet & Disability Rights activist

“If you are not proud
For who you are, for what you say, for how you look;
If every time you stop
To think of yourself, you do not see yourself glowing
With golden light; do not, therefore, give up on yourself.
You can get proud.

You do not need
A better body, a purer spirit, or a Ph.D.
To be proud.
You do not need
A lot of money, a handsome boyfriend, or a nice car.
You do not need
To be able to walk, or see, or hear,
Or use big, complicated words,
Or do any of those things that you just can’t do
To be proud. A caseworker
Cannot make you proud,
Or a doctor.
You only need more practice.
You get proud by practicing.

There are many many ways to get proud.
You can try riding a horse, or skiing on one leg,
Or playing guitar,
And do well or not so well,
And be glad you tried
Either way.
You can show
Something you’ve made
To someone you respect
And be happy with it no matter
What they say.
You can say
What you think, though you know
Other people do not think the same way, and you can
keep saying it, even if they tell you
You are crazy.

You can add your voice
All night to the voices
Of a hundred and fifty others
In a circle
Around a jailhouse
Where your brothers and sisters are being held
For blocking buses with no lifts,
Or you can be one of the ones
Inside the jailhouse,
Knowing of the circle outside.
You can speak your love
To a friend
Without fear.
You can find someone who will listen to you
Without judging you or doubting you or being
Afraid of you
And let you hear yourself perhaps
For the very first time.
These are all ways
Of getting proud.
None of them
Are easy, but all of them
Are possible. You can do all of these things,
Or just one of them again and again.
You get proud
By practicing.

Power makes you proud, and power
Comes in many fine forms
Supple and rich as butterfly wings.
It is music
when you practice opening your mouth
And liking what you hear
Because it is the sound of your own
True voice.

It is sunlight
Wen you practice seeing
Strength and beauty in everyone,
Including yourself.
It is dance
when you practice knowing
That what you do
And the way you do it
Is the right way for you
And cannot be called wrong.
All these hold
More power than weapons or money
Or lies.
All these practices bring power, and power
Makes you proud.
You get proud
By practicing.

Remember, you weren’t the one
Who made you ashamed,
But you are the one
Who can make you proud.
Just practice,
Practice until you get proud, and once you are proud,
Keep practicing so you won’t forget.
You get proud
By practicing.”

Image Description: Peach/Pink background with faint yellow circles of various sizes centered. Dark purple text reads:
"Remember, you weren’t the one
Who made you ashamed,
But you are the one
Who can make you proud.
Just practice,
Practice until you get proud, and once you are proud,
Keep practicing so you won’t forget.
You get proud
By practicing.- Laura Hershey”
facebook.com/autismwomensnetwork