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Misty Dawn Story!
Misty Dawn Story!
My life has been a very wild ride and I am willing to let you in! I sometimes feel that all people see is my wheelchair and not me. So I am going to be sharing things with you about me, family, friends, school, some of my favorite pomes that were done by a friend, and much more.
First I would like to share something’s about me. I am 22 years old. I was born with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and I have significant lower extremity weakness and atrophy with plasticity requiring bilateral ankle AFOs and a walker for ambulation. I also use a wheelchair for mobility. I am originally from Maple Lake, Minnesota, where I went to Maple Lake High School and I graduated in 2002 from Maple Lake High School and lived with my family on our family farm, but I now reside in St. Cloud, Minnesota in my own apartment which is in a building that is completely accessible. I have lived in St. Cloud for 2 ½ years. I have been going to St. Cloud Technical College (SCTC) majoring in Child Care and Adult Care and Education. I plan to graduate in May of 2005. A lot of people have told me that I would not be able to make it in school but, look at me now. when I am done with school I plan to work at Camp Courage in Maple Lake for the summer. Then I plan to come back to St. Cloud to look for a job. I hope to find a job working with kids or adults with or without disabilities. I may also take some time off before I start working.
Last year I was selected as Ms. Wheelchair Minnesota 2004 it was a great honor. I wasn’t expecting to be chosen at all and I just went because I thought it would be a fun experience. Having the title gave me a great opportunity to share my opinions and help other people with disabilities. I think it is important that people realize that people who have disabilities are out there and that we deserve the same opportunities that everyone gets. Going to the National Pageant in Virginia was a fun experience in 2004. As of April 2005 I am the new Ms. Wheelchair Minnesota state coordinator. I also have the honor of going to the national pageant in New York City with the new Minnesota titleholder this next summer on July 19-24.
There are many activities that I enjoy doing in my spare time such as hanging out with family and friends, volunteering when I have the time, collecting monkeys and camping during the summer with my family. If I had to choose one thing that I thought was my favorite, it would be my work out at Camp Courage. I am a general counselor/office person/craft person. Camp Courage is a fabulous experience for kids and adults with disabilities. It is a great honor to work out there in the summer time. I love to see the changes in the kids from year to year.
The second thing I would like to share is a little about my family. I have the support of my friends and family which includes my mother, Ruth, step-daddy Tom and his family and two older sisters, Heather and Mel and my grandmother Fran. I have also felt support from an older brother that passed away at an early age. Other family members who have offered support as well are my step brother Martin and his mother Darla.
Now I am going to share a about my friends. I have a very diverse group of friends. I have friends from different cultures. Some of the cultures are British, Irish, Polish culture, and I also have friends from New York City which is a culture within itself. I also have my friends from Camp Courage and school in St. Cloud. All of these people are the best thing for me. They do not care that I am in a wheelchair and they treat me like a person. They have all made a difference in my life in some way.
Here is a pome or two that I really like. They make me think of myself and sometimes how people think of me. They were done by a really good friend.
Imitation
I was running a race trying to be the best,
competing and comparing myself to others was my quest.
Being like everyone else was what I thought I was supposed to be,
because the way I was nobody liked me.
Trying to live up to other’s expectations is an impossible thing,
it kept me from finding my wings.
I had to find my own ways to soar,
I don’t have to listen to other people’s attitudes anymore.
Perfect hair, perfect weight,
that will make my life straight.
Perfect performance, perfect room,
I felt like I was living in a tomb.
Not being perfect made me feel strange,
but through making mistakes I finally changed.
I always had to have a perfect appearance,
that made me want to stage a disappearance.
Looking or acting the way others wanted me to be,
almost destroyed the butterfly inside me.
Once the butterfly broke free and began to fly,
she learned she could do anything, even touch the sky.
Once you find the butterfly inside you,
you realize there is nothing you can’t do.
6-21-01
Invisible
I walk outside with my invisible mask in place,
I watch in amazement when people ignore my face.
I like it and yet it saddens me,
that people only see the package that envelops me.
My package is what makes me invisible to most I meet,
they don’t see a normal person walking down the street.
It’s one percent of me that makes them want to run away,
because they just don’t know what to say.
What’s the other 99 percent they’re afraid to discover,
the rest of me that I would willingly uncover.
At first I didn’t like being invisible,
but then I got used to it,
I felt in some weird way that I just didn’t fit.
Feeling invisible helped me to connect,
with people who have similar experiences,
maybe through making change I can have some effect.
Being invisible helps you see things you wouldn’t normally see,
like the way people act around you or me.
I wish everyone had eyes like mine,
then everyone’s star would be free to shine.
If you were invisible you couldn’t see the package covering up what’s true,
you would see what’s really there, the way I do.
I don’t like being invisible but if I wasn’t the only one,
then maybe I wouldn’t feel so alone.
7-24-04
The Color of My Heart
What do you think I look like, people often ask me,
pictures don’t come flashing into my head, at least not pictures you can see.
When I picture a friend of mine,
they are beautiful with a face that sparkles and shine.
When I meet someone my first question isn’t what color is their hair?,
About physical characteristics I don’t really care.
I don’t care whether my friend is fat or thin,
I look beyond appearance to what’s within.
I don’t care if you’re short or tall,
those things don’t matter to me at all,
Your heart is the only thing I want to know the color of,
I want to know if your heart is the color of love.
Look beyond my face and ask me about my passion,
I would hope my biggest one is compassion.
Looking beyond the package to the treasures hidden inside,
getting to know the people sometimes trying to hide.
When we discover the people inside trying to stay concealed,
when ripping out of that package the people inside when loved can be wonderfully healed.
My package was constructed because my color of love,
is the opposite of what everyone else thinks love consists of.
My package lets love in and sometimes keeps love out,
my package traps me in constant doubt.
My package is for everyone else to see,
the package you see isn’t always who I want to be.
What do you look like?
That’s just the package everyone sees,
what’s inside the package waiting to be free?
Inside the package are hidden desires, thoughts, and dreams,
that they want no one else to know so it seems.
Eventually more of the package gets revealed,
with trust less and less is concealed.
Love has no color if it’s true,
what your friend looks like won’t matter to you.
3-10-03
When climbing a Mountain
When climbing a mountain it’s a very hard road,
especially when you’re carrying a heavy load.
On the way there are many twists and turns
to help us learn.
After you’ve reached the top you have to decide,
to climb down or take the easy ride.
When faced with the steep and rocky places of our climb,
if we turn to God things will turn out just fine.
If we jump off the cliff we can’t marvel at the wondrous mountain view,
when I am struggling with that choice I have learned to take God’s cue.
When I thought all hope was gone,
God said, take my hand and hold on.
With god, and friends who would never give up on me,
I now embrace the precious life God has given me,
that I have yet to lead.
3-31-02
Portrait of Love
It’s impossible to describe the feelings inside,
that I always want to hide.
Hiding all the emotions that I feel,
prevents me from being real.
You gave me an immeasurable gift by listening with your heart,
you helped me make a new start.
God put you in my life not for a season,
but for his own very loving reasons.
Because you love me I want to be real,
slowly I am beginning to heal.
God gave me a treasure in you,
breathing life into my body that is exciting and new.
God shared one of his angels with me,
never a better friend could there ever be.
You listened, prayed, and didn’t judge after I talked,
you just loved me like always, steady as a rock.
You loved me even after you knew my shame,
you, and God, still love me just the same.
Listener, angel, and friend,
my love for you will never end.
Through you God always flows,
why he put us together he only knows.
God love is pure,
never shaky or unsure.
God love pours from your whole being,
god knew to do that because he is all-seeing.
God knew I needed you in my time of need,
so finally, I shut up and let him take the lead.
Tthen he passed his love through you to me,
because that night, his love I didn’t see.
But he was there the whole time in his angel he sent from above,
he sent me you, his portrait of love.
1-14-03
I hope with all the information on me, my family, school, friends, and some pomes that I really like I let you into Misty Dawn’s life. I hope I have helped you all out in some way. I know I am here for something! I do not yet know why. I am sure one day I will know why! My mother and grandmother have always told me to follow my dreams and reach for the stars which is something that sticks in my mind to this day.
5-3-05
Misty Yanish
