you [Music]
if your first reaction is sadness
if your first reaction is sadness sadness when you see me you’re missing a
sadness when you see me you’re missing a
sadness when you see me you’re missing a lot I’m here to tell you some stories
lot I’m here to tell you some stories
lot I’m here to tell you some stories about how I view disability and how I’ve
about how I view disability and how I’ve
about how I view disability and how I’ve turned it into an ability my friends are
turned it into an ability my friends are
turned it into an ability my friends are a big reason why I’m totally comfortable
a big reason why I’m totally comfortable
a big reason why I’m totally comfortable with who I am I was born with the left
with who I am I was born with the left
with who I am I was born with the left arm that stops just above my elbow I
arm that stops just above my elbow I
arm that stops just above my elbow I call it a limb difference I’ve grown up
call it a limb difference I’ve grown up
call it a limb difference I’ve grown up with some great friends who actually
with some great friends who actually
with some great friends who actually forget I have one hand there have been a
forget I have one hand there have been a
forget I have one hand there have been a number of times when I’m awkwardly
number of times when I’m awkwardly
number of times when I’m awkwardly rolling a bunch of bags or a lot of
rolling a bunch of bags or a lot of
rolling a bunch of bags or a lot of stuff with one hand and my friend just
stuff with one hand and my friend just
stuff with one hand and my friend just tells me to use both hands uh what is
tells me to use both hands uh what is
tells me to use both hands uh what is all I have but even I forget sometimes
all I have but even I forget sometimes
all I have but even I forget sometimes too I’m lucky my friends accept me for
too I’m lucky my friends accept me for
too I’m lucky my friends accept me for who I am and forgetting is totally
who I am and forgetting is totally
who I am and forgetting is totally understandable
understandable
understandable that’s because I really do think each of
that’s because I really do think each of
that’s because I really do think each of us has a different view on what we think
us has a different view on what we think
us has a different view on what we think is normal kids and adults often ask me
is normal kids and adults often ask me
is normal kids and adults often ask me what’s it like to have one hand and I
what’s it like to have one hand and I
what’s it like to have one hand and I ask them back and say what’s it like to
ask them back and say what’s it like to
ask them back and say what’s it like to have two hands most people just say it’s
have two hands most people just say it’s
have two hands most people just say it’s normal well for me having one hand is
normal well for me having one hand is
normal well for me having one hand is normal we all have different views on
normal we all have different views on
normal we all have different views on what we think is normal and I think
what we think is normal and I think
what we think is normal and I think that’s really cool cool but often I see
that’s really cool cool but often I see
that’s really cool cool but often I see grown-ups get really uncomfortable
grown-ups get really uncomfortable
grown-ups get really uncomfortable talking about physical difference I
talking about physical difference I
talking about physical difference I remember back when I’d hang out at the
remember back when I’d hang out at the
remember back when I’d hang out at the baseball fields during my brothers games
baseball fields during my brothers games
baseball fields during my brothers games and while I’d hang out with my friends
and while I’d hang out with my friends
and while I’d hang out with my friends younger kids would walk up to me and ask
younger kids would walk up to me and ask
younger kids would walk up to me and ask me questions about my smaller arm
me questions about my smaller arm
me questions about my smaller arm quickly a parent would walk up to me and
quickly a parent would walk up to me and
quickly a parent would walk up to me and apologize about their kids asking
apologize about their kids asking
apologize about their kids asking questions
questions
questions I always tell those parents that is
I always tell those parents that is
I always tell those parents that is totally okay I’m glad when kids ask me
totally okay I’m glad when kids ask me
totally okay I’m glad when kids ask me questions a few years ago I had a really
questions a few years ago I had a really
questions a few years ago I had a really uncomfortable experience in a new dance
uncomfortable experience in a new dance
uncomfortable experience in a new dance class where a few kids just could not
class where a few kids just could not
class where a few kids just could not stop staring and it made me really angry
stop staring and it made me really angry
stop staring and it made me really angry that’s when I came up with a shirt I
that’s when I came up with a shirt I
that’s when I came up with a shirt I could wear during class I felt so much
could wear during class I felt so much
could wear during class I felt so much better getting it out there it said
better getting it out there it said
better getting it out there it said don’t stare just ask t-shirts have been
don’t stare just ask t-shirts have been
don’t stare just ask t-shirts have been a really easy way for me to tell stories
a really easy way for me to tell stories
a really easy way for me to tell stories and encourage others to relax and enjoy
and encourage others to relax and enjoy
and encourage others to relax and enjoy differences what is one of my favorites
differences what is one of my favorites
differences what is one of my favorites is a shirt that goes along with the
is a shirt that goes along with the
is a shirt that goes along with the story my mom told me if you were looking
story my mom told me if you were looking
story my mom told me if you were looking at a field of horses you saw a unicorn
at a field of horses you saw a unicorn
at a field of horses you saw a unicorn would you stop and stare
would you stop and stare
would you stop and stare heck yeah I would I would totally
heck yeah I would I would totally
heck yeah I would I would totally celebrate the unicorn unicorns have
celebrate the unicorn unicorns have
celebrate the unicorn unicorns have become a big part of my world I’m really
become a big part of my world I’m really
become a big part of my world I’m really proud of something I created called
proud of something I created called
proud of something I created called project unicorn that it’s a big project
project unicorn that it’s a big project
project unicorn that it’s a big project that let me learn that it can be really
that let me learn that it can be really
that let me learn that it can be really great to step back and appreciate your
great to step back and appreciate your
great to step back and appreciate your differences I learned how to take
differences I learned how to take
differences I learned how to take advantage of my little arm to design a
advantage of my little arm to design a
advantage of my little arm to design a prosthetic arm that shoots glitter
I’ve had the chance to share the fun
I’ve had the chance to share the fun glitter brings to our lives spring my
glitter brings to our lives spring my
glitter brings to our lives spring my way into schools and other organizations
way into schools and other organizations
way into schools and other organizations I even got to show it off on the Rachael
I even got to show it off on the Rachael
I even got to show it off on the Rachael Ray Show but the best part of the
Ray Show but the best part of the
Ray Show but the best part of the experience is it’s given me a chance to
experience is it’s given me a chance to
experience is it’s given me a chance to show even more people that physical
show even more people that physical
show even more people that physical difference is in a sad thing it’s an
difference is in a sad thing it’s an
difference is in a sad thing it’s an opportunity and I love seeing what
opportunity and I love seeing what
opportunity and I love seeing what copper tuna tease I may have necks so
copper tuna tease I may have necks so
copper tuna tease I may have necks so you want to see me shoot some sparkles
so I have some compressed air which
so I have some compressed air which helps me shoot it and it goes through
helps me shoot it and it goes through
helps me shoot it and it goes through this too and this is the big thing of
this too and this is the big thing of
this too and this is the big thing of sparkles and so when the air meets up
sparkles and so when the air meets up
sparkles and so when the air meets up with the sparkles it shoots out of a
with the sparkles it shoots out of a
with the sparkles it shoots out of a unicorn like and I made this with a 3d
unicorn like and I made this with a 3d
unicorn like and I made this with a 3d printer and glitter and and I made it
printer and glitter and and I made it
printer and glitter and and I made it with a 3d printer that I have at home so
with a 3d printer that I have at home so
with a 3d printer that I have at home so I guess you
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