My Wonderfully Ridiculous Life with Cerebral Palsy: Being Disabled in an Able-Bodied World - Funny Stories and Helpful Resources

by Lorraine Taylor

Overview

I never planned to write about my life with cerebral palsy (CP), but after years of absurd, frustrating, and hilarious experiences, I had to share them. This book is part memoir, part guide to navigating an able-bodied world when your body has its own agenda.

From my mom almost being mistaken for a prostitute to a first date disaster in a movie theater, my life is full of bizarre encounters. Doctors talk over me, cops have been afraid of me, and strangers treat me like a sideshow. But if I don't laugh, I'll lose my mind-so I turn these moments into stories that entertain and challenge perceptions.

Beyond the humor, I tackle the real struggles of living with CP-job interviews where I'm seen as a liability, the chaos of dating, and adapting to parenthood. I share hard-earned advice, including my experience with Botox (for muscle tightness, not wrinkles) and finding creative ways to make life accessible.

At the core, this book is about resilience. I am more than my disability-stubborn, independent, and determined to live life on my own terms. If you have a disability, I hope this book makes you laugh and reminds you that you're not alone. If you don't, maybe it will open your eyes.

Welcome to my ridiculous, wonderful life!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781967119066
Publisher:	LTaylor Publishing
Publication date:	03/14/2025
Pages:	108
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.28(d)

About the Author

I’m a mid-30ish year old professional, mother of two young energetic boys, married, works in HR who has mild Cerebral Palsy. My disability doesn’t define me but it has added a lot of pain and absurdities into my life. This is just my humorous outlet to daily stresses with lots of reminiscing. Situations that I never spoke out about or shared but definitely should have and will do so now.

I share my pain, insecurities, and experiences that stem from having Cerebral Palsy. I discuss the triumphs and successes I've accomplished despite the hardships. I share funny stories and vent about random occurrences, family, and friends.

One of my first loves has always been human behavior and counseling. I'm often fascinated and flabbergasted by people's behavior, thus I have a Masters degree in Mental Health and Counseling. But after 7 years in the social services and counseling field, I switched to Human Resources, so now I also have an MBA. Getting the MBA and working full time (plus planning a wedding and moving to our new home) were two of the most difficult years I've ever gone through; (then we had kids, haha) and the MBA just went to further emphasize how horrendous I am with numbers.

Most importantly though, it's vital to laugh at myself and the situations I've been through. Life itself is never easy. Life with a disability and being part of one the most marginalized groups out there can cause a tremendous amount of anger and depression. Instead, I try my best to appreciate the good things in my life and either laugh at the rest or adapt a "fuck off" attitude. This outlook on life has served me pretty well.

I also hope to help shed light on some of the daily hardships people with disabilities experience which abled bodied individuals can take for granted. For example, if you're a woman or a guy with longer hair... try putting your hair up in a pony tail with one hand. Or try carrying a mug of coffee across the room when you have constant body spasms. The point is not pity. The point is to show understanding. We may do things differently, but we can do them. This is part of our independence that we value very much.

I'm getting off my soap box. We'll see where the rest takes us.