fbpx
Potentash
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
    • Interviews
  • Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Entertainment
    • Internet
    • Events
    • Music
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Potentash
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
    • Interviews
  • Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Entertainment
    • Internet
    • Events
    • Music
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Potentash
No Result
View All Result

From Stairs To Ramps: How My Definition Of Freedom Has Changed

Brian Muchiri by Brian Muchiri
August 10, 2020
in Lifestyle, Opinions, Persons With Disabilities, Wellness
Reading Time: 4 mins read
9 0
0
11
SHARES
63
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterWhatsApp

10 years ago, my definition of freedom was being able to stay out late without consequence. I wanted to attend parties alongside my peers and remain at those parties without having to check my watch. In my mind, I was oppressed, and the system of parenting was the oppressor. Looking back, being free meant irresponsibility and zero accountability. Freedom meant privacy and having the opportunity to become a young man. I wanted to experiment and be adventurous. The blood in my veins burnt so hot that if this freedom I yearned for wasn’t going to be given to me, I was going to take it.

I did.

One night I was in my small room just outside our main house, here in the village we call them “cubes”. I was on my laptop creating my work out playlist. 2014 was the year I had resolved to do better and be better. A major part of being better meant being kinder to my body and getting more involved in fitness. Working out cleared my mind and helped me sleep better so it became part of my evening routine. I am mostly a sensitive guy, so I was pilling up all the 90’s Rnb songs on the playlist. A buzz on my phone distracted me and I went to check who could be texting at 10:30 pm.

I wanted to be free at all costs, so I switched off my laptop, dressed and slowly sneaked out of the home. I headed where the party was. The text was from a good friend and he was inviting me for a wild night out. This was the first time something like this was happening to me. I couldn’t say no, I just couldn’t. We partied, club hopped and had the best time. At around 3 am in the morning we started the journey back home, none of us made it home safely. From Stairs To Ramps: The Beginning – The Accident That Changed My Life

Six years later I am seated on a wheelchair in that same small room as the only male survivor from that day. We hit a trailer on our way home and the three other guys in the car died on the spot. There was a girl who also survived. I came out with a severe spinal cord injury that rendered me paralyzed from my armpits down.  So much for wanting freedom, right?

Today, my definition of freedom has changed. I no longer desire to attend parties or go stay out till morning comes. I seek things far more deeper and greater. These days, accessibility, equality, and inclusion are the true measures of the freedom I want.

Over the last five years I have had to unlearn and relearn plenty of things about life and its true essence. Now a disabled man, I have to jump over greater hurdles, most of which were unbeknown to me. These days, being seen and being heard is the truest form of freedom.

In 2015, a year after the accident, I received an invitation to attend a friend’s wedding. I was elated about being invited but my mind could not allow me to even picture myself in a public setting. At the time, I experienced an immense amount of self loathe that there was no way I was even going to consider attending. I didn’t feel good about anything, life at the time was grey and dull. Looking back at that period, now I understand what true oppression feels like. I was being held captive my own insecurities, I held the key and chain, but my fear couldn’t let me free myself.

You get so used to being a captive of your own mind that you start identifying with that kind of oppression. Without it you have nothing to hold on to and you are lost. Having the fortitude to break those shackles and embrace positive progression is what I know to be freedom today. If the battle is won in my mind, then being on a wheelchair is just a visual thing. You can see that I am paralyzed but I don’t look like I am. The opportunity to choose the kind of life you want to have is the freedom you should pursue.

From Stairs To Ramps: People With Disabilities Have To Deal With So Many Negative Comments Online – Please Learn To Be Kind

Share4Tweet3SendShare1Pin1
Previous Post

“Kenyans Want To Recycle Plastics, They Just Don’t Know How To” – PETCO Country Manager Joyce Gachungi

Next Post

Lifestyle: The Health Benefits Of Vitamin C And Food Sources

Brian Muchiri

Brian Muchiri

Brian Muchiri is a creative mind, passionate about meaningful storytelling that not only entertains but also positively impacts the reader. His style of writing is lighthearted and provocative, leaving his audience with deep introspection. Brian is also a disability advocate and champion for articulating issues faced in the disability community. He enjoys listening to music, watching documentaries and attending concerts.

Next Post
Sliced oranges. Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

Lifestyle: The Health Benefits Of Vitamin C And Food Sources

Please login to join discussion

Recommended

Isaac Mkalia, 20 years old, a teacher by profession is checking his mobil phone.

How close are we to Vision 2030 in regards to technology?

December 11, 2015
92
Person using phone to take a picture image from https://pixabay.com/en/mobile-phone-camera-photography-2561746/

Technology: A Beginner’s Guide To Phone Photography

January 21, 2019
99

Popular Stories

  • Pregnant black woman holding her belly

    The Singlehood Series: On The Day I Gave Birth My Husband Started Acting Funny After Going Through My Messages. I Was Not Ready For The Heartbreak That Followed

    492 shares
    Share 197 Tweet 123
  • My Fiancé Cheated On Me And I Helped To Take Care Of Their Child

    285 shares
    Share 114 Tweet 71
  • The Positive And Negative Effects Of Fame And Being A Celebrity

    1192 shares
    Share 477 Tweet 298
  • Best Hairstyles For A Round Face Shape

    8131 shares
    Share 3252 Tweet 2032
  • 7 Tips For A Successful Visa Interview

    57 shares
    Share 23 Tweet 14

Potentash Blog

Potentash

Potentash is an award-winning lifestyle blog. We publish lifestyle content that intersects with health, women, beauty, travel, business, relationships, finances and entertainment.

Explore

  • The Singlehood Series
  • From Stairs To Ramps
  • Man Around Nairobi
  • Pearls And Heels
  • Personal Finance
  • Food + Beverage
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Reviews

Get the Potentash Newsletter

  • Newsletter Archive
  • Subscribe
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2023. Potentash, In Partnership with Decima

  • Login
No Result
View All Result
  • Relationships
    • The Singlehood Series
    • Dating
    • Sex
    • Parenting
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Food + Beverage
    • Fashion
    • Interviews
  • Fiction
    • Poetry
  • Skin + Beauty
    • Skin
      • Skincare
    • Hair
      • Haircare
  • Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Emotional Wellness
    • Mental Wellness
    • Social Wellness
    • Spiritual Wellness
  • Business
    • Business Finance
    • Personal Finance
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Investments
    • Personal Investments
  • Entertainment
    • Internet
    • Events
    • Music
    • Books

Copyright © 2023. Potentash, In Partnership with Decima

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In