Then different. But now I’m claiming open. I’m open. And that’s not always an easy thing. But here’s what that open has yielded: authentic friendships and satisfying work, a stream of interesting encounters with strangers, a parade of teachers who have shaken and shaped me.

And now this openness has led me to another realization perfect for the season. I have returned the favor granted to me by my teachers. I, too, have had a positive impact. It didn’t come from cloistering myself and reading great books, though I don’t knock that strategy. It didn’t spring from a traditional classroom. It came from a profound shift in how I present myself to the world. On wheels, yes, but fully present. Alert to what I see around me. Like many gifts, it was born out of pain. I was the kid who struggled. I was the kid least likely to succeed as a student. I’m not sure that this blog can be called success, but when I read responses, it feels nothing short of miraculous. That I got here. That I could try to explain. That readers would not only listen but feel changed.

And that’s the miracle, the blessing, that a learning-disabled, hyper-kinetic kid could transform into a wheelchair-riding man with something to say.