Welcome to A Different Rhythm

It was my favorite time of year: the time when the often sweltering heat and humidity of a Midwest summer finally steps aside and Fall ushers in the welcome relief of cool breezes and trades a mostly green palette for more reds and yellows in the mix.The artist in me loves color.  The more the merrier! On this particular day during my junior year in college, I was making my way to the far side of campus for an early classs.  This daily trek for most meant five minutes,but for me, typically meant fifteen or twenty due to a life-long disability of Cerebral Palsy. requiring me to use crutches to walk. I had learned early on in life that I could navigate most terrain as long as I remembered to take my time. There were some small uneven hills often slippery from the morning dew, then a wooden bridge to cross before finally reaching a well-worn path connected to the main stretch across campus.  Though usually content to take notice of the myriad of colors along the way, and always partial to the yellow maple leaves, on this particular day I was impatient with my necessary pace and wishing I could move faster.  While proceeding slowly and being careful to watch my step to avoid any surprise slips, another student approached from behind and simply said, "You are so fortunate to be able to take your time and enjoy all of the beautiful colors!  I wish I could do that."  Then off she went, up ahead of me with apparent ease.
     It has been twenty years since her comment and I never forgot it.  That moment would be used repeatedly by God throughout my life to remind me of the blessings from my perspective, not only as a woman with what society refers to as a disability but as a woman with immense faith because of it.  Yes, there are unique challenges along the way and many times when I wished the path I was on had been different; but my journey eventually became the primary catalyst for a much needed viewpoint in our fast paced world. That classmate was right. I am fortunate. My pace in life has taught me to see deeply--and I don't miss much.
     When purchasing tickets to an event, everyone prefers a good seat.  Some arrive hours early to claim a spot in the front row.  Others are content in the middle as long as they can see what's happening; free of anyone blocking their view.  Still, some hover in the background, sliding in and out quietly so as not to be noticed at all.  All of life is a stage.  Due in large part to the necessity of adapting to the world around me, most of my life has  been spent in the audience quietly watching the show.  In the process, I have made countless observations about the roles we play, as well as the costumes and masks we each present to the world in an attempt to find our place in it.
     Those observations are the inspiration for my blog, "A Different Rhythm."  It is an invitation to slow down, look deeply for our common ground and finally give each other the gift of being seen and understood, whether or not we are in perfect agreement.  The terrain along the way may not be easy but step by step the bridge is there.  Wherever one chooses to sit in the audience of life, each perspective has much to teach us if we allow it. I know this type of connection with each other is possible.  Let this be one place we can find the courage to prove it.

In a different rhythm,

Jennifer