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Today morning I was reading a very interesting poem by Jac Vanek on the Women’s Web Facebook page which talked about how we are an amalgamation of the people we meet.
This made me think about Brenda whom I had met years ago in one of my special education classes. It also made me think about the hundreds of women who refuse to wear a helmet while riding a bike or scooter. They don’t care about their safety or the safety of their kids. They are more concerned about how stylish they look, or they think it is not a big deal.
Brenda was a tennis player and co-founder of Prince George Tennis Academy in USA. She was an avid photographer and was always energetic and dynamic. She was an ardent fan of sports. But suddenly her life toppled over. She met with an accident and shockingly she was told that she would never be able to walk again. Everyone around her consoled her by saying that she could do work that required only sitting at the desk.
Brenda did not want to lose hope so easily. She knew she had an uphill task ahead of her. She was just 27. She started asking around and realized that she could play tennis while sitting on the wheelchair. Her determination and motivation led her to train herself every day. There were days when she was frustrated and would cry her heart out. But then she saw that some other people, especially kids, in wheelchairs were being inspired by her. They too wanted to learn tennis. After years of struggle and hard work, today Brenda had acclaimed the prestigious title of National Champion of Wheel Chair Tennis in USA. She now teaches other people how to play tennis.
She says that if it is arduous to push the wheelchair while holding the tennis racket; but with time and patience she has mastered the art. She laughs and says that some people cannot even kneel down on their knees and talk to her at eye level. Brenda feels energetic again and scorns the people who kept discouraging her.
I feel greatly inspired by her. I think about the woman who is chatting on the bike and how that woman does not realize how one accident can alter a person’s life forever. I think about how Brenda rose up to a new challenge and never let depression take over her life. Today I look at houses and when I don’t see a pathway for those in wheelchairs, I experience a pain.
Image Source – Unsplash
I love to write on women's issues. I strongly believe that every woman is capable of being more than just a homemaker. They are the leaders of our world. They can multi-task more read more...
This post has published with none or minimal editorial intervention. Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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