“We Are All The Same”

I have always been drawn to things that are difficult, if not impossible, for me. -- Henry Winkler

What is ‘difficult, if not impossible for me’? This was a question that I literally woke up with very early in the morning ten months ago on Sunday, January 31^st. Writing, {for the most part}, comes easy for me. Writing is my gift, my ability, and the greatness inside me. It’s my calling. Writing is the only thing that I, a learning challenged individual, can do, and do well. I discovered something about myself this year…. I cannot spell. So writing is definitely a God-given gift!! How else can it be explained?! So what, exactly, comes ‘difficult, if not impossible, for me’? The answer, without a doubt, is memorization. When I was growing up, as young as four years old, I had to learn Bible verses by heart for church. It was ‘difficult, if not impossible for me’ then, {because I suffer from Lifelong short-term memory loss issues}, it is ‘difficult, if not impossible for me’ today at age thirty-seven. So, why don’t I memorize Henry Winkler quotes? It was just something that I was going to try. I would memorize maybe one or five Henry Winkler quotes, and then I’d be finished. Less than ten months later, {on Wednesday, October 6^th}, I memorized one-hundred Henry Winkler quotes, plus eleven Fonzie lines!! Whoa. And, somewhere along the way, from one learning challenged individual, {Henry Winkler has dyslexia}, to another learning challenged individual, {me}, Henry Winkler began profoundly helping me through my self-acceptance journey all thanks to a message that he repeatedly gives children who struggle with learning challenges…. ‘You have greatness inside you’…. ‘You are powerful’…. ‘How you learn has nothing to do with how brilliant you are’. Thanks, Henry Winkler. This learning challenged adult is listening. Now I just need to believe in Henry Winkler’s words, that ‘I’m a smart girl’ after two decades of telling myself I am ‘stupid’ and ‘dumb’. I will try…. Peace and Love, Mary Lou

Note…. Every single celebrity guy who I love gets a poem out of me that I’ve composed. I have been keeping up this tradition for several years now!! Bruce Springsteen got two songs out of me. What am I, NUTSO?! I’m not a songwriter!! Henry Winkler’s poem is the most personal one that I have ever composed. I think. I guess that is what happens when I compose a poem pertaining to my learning challenge, and my Lifelong self-acceptance journey….

“We Are All The Same”

Edited by Kara Kent!!

‘I will try, I will try, I will try’;

This is his mantra, I can live by;

I will give it, give it my best shot;

Even when self-doubt says I cannot;

I will memorize his quotations;

Despite some anger and frustration;

I will embrace my learning challenge;

Though being different hurts, makes me cringe;

Memorizing takes tenacity;

I can do this, I have it in me;

I am so thankful for his mission;

That I’ve greatness in me, ambition;

I will dig it out, give the world;

I have talents, I’m a smart girl;

I will believe I am powerful;

That my challenges make me special;

I will learn with both hands, by doing;

And no matter what I’m pursuing;

I will believe I am brilliant;

My brain sucks, but I’m resilient;

‘I will try, I will try, I will try’;

This is his mantra, I can live by.