Win Charles's Blog
June 22, 2015
Sneak Peek!
In honor of my 28th Birthday, I decided to release my newest book A Voice for My Make Up Collection. This sequel to The View from My Heels” continues the journey with Kelly and her friends as they face more obstacles being disabled in the non-disabled professional world of fashion and make-up.
I wanted to share with you an exclusive excerpt from my novel:
“We had to go get Cynthia and take her to a lunch surprise. “I feel,” I replied, “You have to treat people without titles and without misperceptions sometimes. I have been put under a microscope many times in my life, so I feel that I need to turn around and quit doing the same thing. I remember having a horrific time being a triathlete because my teammate didn’t see that I could be a cohesive team member, and I remember her saying ‘I do this out of love for you’ and I remember sitting in shock after receiving that text because I was thinking, ‘Really? If you did that out of love you would understand that I am a fully able-bodied and capable woman who trained just as hard as you did or maybe even more’ and then I got no response as to say thank you for keeping me going when people told me I couldn’t do it. I got no grateful response from my teammate,” I said to Cynthia and Jenny.”
I am very proud of this novel, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it. If you wish to support me and buy my book, you can find in available here.
June 16, 2015
Ask Us About Our Story
People often ask what's the biggest problem with me having cerebral palsy. And while one would think my answer would have something to do with my limited mobility or with being in a wheelchair, the real answer might not seem so obvious.
In fact, the biggest setback of living with cerebral palsy has nothing at all to do with my physical ability. But rather, it’s how other people perceive me as someone who is disabled. I’m oftentimes not being seen, oftentimes not being heard and oftentimes not being understood. My story is being ignored!
And I know I’m not the only person with a disability who feels this way. In fact, these feelings can start as early as childhood.
That’s why I was SO excited to learn about this new children’s book by Gillette’s Children called It’s OK to Ask. This 30-page book, illustrated by renowned author Nancy Carlson, follows the stories of five children with visible physical challenges. While getting to know these characters and their lives, readers learn that it’s OK to ask questions to learn about another person, and that people of all abilities can be friends! You can learn more about this great book here.
My point with this post is that people of all abilities have a story to tell if you’re just willing to listen, which is why this book is so important for children to read.
And for me, it teaches me why my story is so important to tell. That's why I want you to see me through the pages of my books. That's why I want to share my story. That's why I wrote my autobiography. That’s why I wrote my works of fiction. And that's why I continue to write.
So don’t be afraid to ask me a question and don’t be afraid to learn about my life through my writing!
In fact, the biggest setback of living with cerebral palsy has nothing at all to do with my physical ability. But rather, it’s how other people perceive me as someone who is disabled. I’m oftentimes not being seen, oftentimes not being heard and oftentimes not being understood. My story is being ignored!
And I know I’m not the only person with a disability who feels this way. In fact, these feelings can start as early as childhood.
That’s why I was SO excited to learn about this new children’s book by Gillette’s Children called It’s OK to Ask. This 30-page book, illustrated by renowned author Nancy Carlson, follows the stories of five children with visible physical challenges. While getting to know these characters and their lives, readers learn that it’s OK to ask questions to learn about another person, and that people of all abilities can be friends! You can learn more about this great book here.
My point with this post is that people of all abilities have a story to tell if you’re just willing to listen, which is why this book is so important for children to read.
And for me, it teaches me why my story is so important to tell. That's why I want you to see me through the pages of my books. That's why I want to share my story. That's why I wrote my autobiography. That’s why I wrote my works of fiction. And that's why I continue to write.
So don’t be afraid to ask me a question and don’t be afraid to learn about my life through my writing!
