Your Memories on Facebook
Kerry, we care about you and the memories you share here. We thought you’d like to look back on this post from 4 years ago.
Kerry Kijewski, August 28, 2013
I have a dream…that one day we’ll live in a world where not only people of all ethnicities and cultures and religions will live together in harmony, but as far as we’ve come with that, we still have a long way to go: for black and white and yellow and brown, for women, and for LGBT too. I have a dream that as far as we’ve come with accepting all people included above, that the next step is to bring people of all disabilities into that list.
I have a dream that one day, people all over the world will recognize that people with disabilities of all kinds, physical, mental, or intellectual will be received and given the chance to prove that they have something to offer, each and every one of them.
I have a dream that one day…we will be given the same chances and opportunities to show the rest of the world just what we are capable of…that we have love and intelligence and dedication just like anyone else, and that we are just as eager to help out, make a difference, simply to participate in the world we share, to function and thrive as willing citizens, in our neighbourhoods, our communities, and as part of the bigger world’s stage.
I have a dream that people with all disabilities will one day live in a world where we are judged not by our lack of sight or hearing or mobility, but by our hearts, our minds, and our gifts, talents, and abilities. I have a dream that we will one day be taken seriously as contributing members of society…that we may be given just the same opportunities in ife to let our skills show and our hard work shine through, without the fear of being thought of as less than…I have a dream…
Fifty years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic “I Have a Dream” speech… Fifty years later…I have given mine…there’s hope yet, I know there is.
I appreciate the reminder of my relative size. There are bigger things in life that I must remember still.
I’m thankful I could have a day in Toronto with my sister, brother, niece, and nephew.
A dinosaur really dwarfs you by comparison.
I’m thankful I got to see the blue whale exhibit at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum).
I got to feel a exact sized replica of a blue whale brain.
I’m thankful my niece and nephew seemed to get so much out of the museum.
Then we got up close with a replica of the blow hole.
It was just nice to see, that although there was the usual amount of youthful restlessness, we were still able to show them things that they found interesting.
Mostly dinosaur or other, more modern animal stuff.
I’m thankful for all the new sounds my niece is now making regularly.
At six months old her vocabulary of sound is really growing.
I swear I hear words sometimes. No rush. It just makes me smile, whatever she’s saying.
I’m thankful my rough draft of my SiriusXM piece was so well received.
The editor said she was swamped, but couldn’t help listening to the thirteen-minute piece.
Her positive feedback was encouraging.
I’m thankful I got to see my brother play music at my town’s local fair.
The small crowd size left a lot to be desired, but it was more of a nostalgia thing than anything else.
I’m thankful for things to do and places to be away from the loud noises while the roof was being fixed…
I’m thankful for a yearly catch-up lunch.
She started out as my pupil aid when I was in grade one.
Then, as I needed it more and more, she learned braille and became my braille transcriber.
Back before computers were much of a real option, in the 90s, I would braille out my schoolwork on a manual braille machine and she would transcribe the assignments, in print underneath, for my teachers to read and mark.
That was years ago, she has moved on with working with other students in the meantime, but we still like to catch up every now and again.
We discussed my writing and her summer travels out east with family.
I’m thankful for a nice time out with a friend at a place that smells like chocolate and has delicious lattes with vanilla sugar.
It’s not my choice for a chocolate shop, all sugar free and vegan, but it wasn’t a bad spot for a drink.
I’m thankful for stories of history.
Regal. Often stilted. The music of the latest movie about Jacqueline Kennedy/Onassis was heartbreaking and real.
It was based on an interview she granted a week after John’s assassination. She spoke to her priest first and then the journalist.
I don’t know why I am fascinated with this part of still fairly recent history, as the exact graphic details of the killing are horrifying and this film does not shy away from that.
I am fascinated by the history of the 60s as a whole, for many reasons, as a time of real upheaval, feeling eerily similar to now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDWWy4CMhE
From John F. Kennedy to Martin Luther King, Jr. From “all men” to “all men and women and all of us” in the twenty-first century and fifty years on and onward.
I don’t wish to strictly compare or relate, but this stuff is similar in my experience, but mine alone.
Self evident indeed.
Her Headache 
Your six-month-old niece very well could be an early talker. One of my children was an early talker.
Receiving positive feedback is so helpful.
Having a yearly catch-up lunch is a nice way to keep friendships alive.
The sound of pounding on the roof would give me a headache after a while. Glad you were able to get to a quieter place.
Martin Luther King’s “I still have a dream” speech will always be remembered by those who heard it, and that dream is still alive.
My friend’s little girl was an early talker, as far as I can tell. You never know. It’s glorious to witness though. The sounds she makes make me smile so widely. Thanks Pat.
I swear I hear words sometimes. No rush. It just makes me smile, whatever she’s saying.
This thought/phrase caught my attention, enjoying the idea of unlimited perspectives and all, and thought as I read it, to your niece, from her perspective perhaps they are words. And not ‘our words’ improperly vocalized, but perfectly formed words that correspond to the world as she is experiencing it.
That notion is central to the Doctrine, of course. The subjective experience of the world (in comparison) to the common/’objective’ state.
Interesting… (lol, no it’s alright, I get that a lot)
The catch up lunch sounds like a very positive and enjoyable time. To have reference points to our past certainly enhances (our) effort to further develop ourselves.
Good TToT
Whale brain, huh? It’s funny whales and dolphins are frequently cited as non-human lifeforms that have an equivalency with humans for certain brain functioning. The challenge is, of course, how totally different their natural environment is from humans.
In addition to my niece’s sounds, the sounds whales and dolphins make have always made me incredibly happy. They are all expressing themselves and that is something special. Languages of all kinds.
I swear, my niece loves her big brother so much that I hear it in the sounds she makes when he does something near her and then, when he walks off, I hear her plead for him to come back, as she is incapable of chasing after him.
OMG I have the same dreams. Your ability to put thoughts and visions to words and sounds is incredible, truly. You’ve got the gift, my friend.
If, as you say, I do have the gift, I feel duty to express it and share it. Thanks Kristi.
I agree that history seems to be repeating itself. Doesn’t this Tom Paxton song make you think, “fake news”?: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=802F7aZIWfk
The difference is in the 60s it was the left complaining about the media; now it’s the right.
Thanks for this perspective and the link share Kristi. I try to read widely, but I follow my heart. Suppose I am a nice mix of idealistic and cynical.
Lots of deep thoughts in your post today, and I enjoyed your reflections. Being an Aquarian, I don’t understand inequality, I dont’ understand why we have to wait and work for something that should be so self-evident. And yes… equality for all, inclusion for all. Everyone has a role, a purpose, and something good to contribute.
Your photos from the museum trip with your niece and nephew made me smile because you were able to enjoy the hands-on exhibits too. The great size of such creatures is hard to fathom from pictures in books, just as I was amazed the first time I saw an actual cruise ship at port in Galveston, I had no idea they were that BIG!
The delightful vocalizations of babies is so good for the soul in these sometimes heavy days. Their pure delight in making noises, followed by smiles and giggles when someone responds is precious beyond words. Real words will come soon enough. One of my daughter’s early phrases was “no morning” when I would wish her a good morning as we flew to get ready for daycare and out the door. She never was an early riser and she made that clear way back then. 🙂
Each week I grow more excited about your SiriusXM project. It sounds so very intriguing and I can’t wait until we can actually hear it! Kudos to you for being able to draw the editor’s attention, and she admitted to that! 🙂
I know that witnessing your brother play was a sweet blessing, and I’m also glad you didn’t have to listen to all the pounding and stomping on your roof. Is it fully repaired now, no more leaks?
The catch-up lunch with your school aide/transcriber has to be such fun, she must be very proud of what you’ve accomplished thus far and what you are working on!
I smiled at your comment on a sugar free/vegan chocolate shop. If I am going to indulge in such wonderfulness, I want it full force! I am eager for our upcoming planned vacation because they have a fudge shop which has been in existence for many years and I have to try a different kind each day while we are there! 🙂
It is interesting how over time more of history is revealed, and we begin to see historical figures as real people rather than the polished images presented to us. Hers was a rather tragic life story I think, much sadness that had to be kept hidden from public eyes.
“From all men to all men and women and all of us”… amen, amen! Thank you Kerry for shining light on issues that have too long been relegated to the shadows. I hope your week is blessed. XOXO
Thanks Josie.
I prefer chocolate to fudge, but I can certainly relate to such a feeling. I did remedy the problem this week.
Yes, we all got something out of the museum and that is what will make it a family memory we will all remember.
Equality and inclusion for all.
No morning. Haha. Love that.
Wonderful list of thankfuls. That is nice that you got to spend time with your family.
That is always nice. I agree.