For as long as humanity has been in existance, we have had an insatiable fascination with everything beyond our gravitational pull to the earth's suface. Today we have helicopters, airplanes, jets and even spacecrafts to explore, learn and transport us to places that our two legs could never never take us. Now, for just a minute, let's go back to the very beginning. Where did the inspiration that led to these amazing inventions stem from?? A bird... It's really just that simple..a bird!! We have all watched them and we have all had a curiosity about them at one time or another, even if only as a child. As a little girl, I tried to make my own set of wings and attempted to jump off of my bed, full of hope that I could fly as well. As I'm sure that you will know, without any form of explanation, this did not end the way I had anticipated. My attempt did not pan out, but someone was passionate enough to get it right and today we are able to fly through the skies and marvel at the beauty of our world from a different view, at any time we'd like! Now, I want to talk about the bird and the plane!! We are now able to see everything that the bird sees and we are able to fly side by side with that bird, but do we really know what it is like to be a bird??? Quick answer here: N-O!! We can fly a million times, but we will NEVER know what it is like to move our arms up and down and begin to rise into the air. So why all of the talk about birds and airplanes? It's an analagy-even if you are able to catch a glimpse, you cannot understand what it is like to be a bird, unless you are a bird. Crohns disease can be the same way. Unless someone has the disease, there is no possible way that they can understand what it is like to live with the disease!! I may not be able to squeeze someone into my body so that they can personally experience the torture within, but I hope to create an airplane, enabling people to see what our eyes see. The world looks very different from the sky, just as it looks very different from our perspective! I know that there will be people who refuse to step on the plane and take a little flight through our world to learn, grow and ultimately change their thinking, BUT, there are many people who will!! That is what excites me! Each person who takes the time to learn and change their mindset= More support and encouragement for each of us who have no other choice but to flap our wings and fly through the storm! It's going to take a while to build this "airplane", but I am lucky enough to have the support of so many people who struggle on a daily basis, just like me! Together, we will make a difference and I am so very thankful for each and every one of you!!
Great work this is a great start to your blog. Raising awareness is great and teaching many more what we deal with is even better
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Mary
8/10/2014 01:06:52 pm
Great beginning!
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Adam Nesbit
8/11/2014 02:13:10 am
This such a great start to your blog. A great way to raise awareness to Crohn's Disease. Hopefully we can get the word out enough that people with out Crohn's will see this and learn something or want to learn something about our disease. Keep it up. We are here to support you in all your ventures.
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Alicia
8/11/2014 12:32:01 pm
I love your writing style. Your analogy was right on, making your point come across really nicely.
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Betsy
8/13/2014 08:52:37 am
Shannon...I finally had a chance to start reading your blog, what an amazing start to this journey!! You are truely gifted when it comes to putting your thoughts into written words!! I can't wait to read on!!!
I am a 30 year old disabled veteran, mother of 3 and longtime sufferer of Crohns Disease. My mission is to raise awareness by putting the spotlight on what lies beyond "the invisible". I want to dive below the surface of the smiles, laughter and seemingly healthy appearance and reveal the monster below the surface.