Why I haven't been around lately

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Hi, there, Constant Reader. I'm sorry that I have not dropped by recently, but I've been busy writing paid blog posts at Cerebral Palsy Guidance (CPG), a site that provides information about one of the most common disabilities that afflicts children and adults - cerebral palsy (CP). This isn't my preferred type of writing gig; I'd rather be paid for writing reviews of movies, books, computer games, and music albums, to be honest. But I have CP - I acquired it as the result of an injury at birth - and the site owner wanted a blogger with some insights about living with the disability, so I was asked to contribute. I accepted the gig, not because I like the topic, but because I need the money.

I didn't set out to become a spokesperson for the many people who live with CP in the U.S. and elsewhere. I am more comfortable writing about, say, the merits of Saving Private Ryan and arguing in favor of George Lucas's much-maligned Star Wars prequels than the ups and downs (mostly downs) of living with a disability in 21st Century America. As a writer, I want to share my love for reading and movies, my passion for history, and my observations on love, life, and this crazy but wonderful world that we live in. What I didn't want to do was to put the spotlight on my disability; I'm not as funny as Geri Jewell or as talented as Christy Brown, nor do I want my life story to be told as a 21st Century version of My Left Foot. 

Nevertheless, I have taken my assignment to heart and I give my client 1000% when I write posts for the CPG. Since January, I've written about 30-35 pieces for the site, including a long autobiographical series titled Growing Up with Cerebral Palsy. You can read all of my CP-related articles here, if you want.

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