L'autore:
When Joe was four, he and his family, including his mom, dad, and his brother Larry, moved from Missouri to California. This was because his dad had heard that California had more opportunities for a child like Joe, who had cerebral palsy. His folks decided early on that Joe wasn't going to use his handicap to get his own way. Joe’s dad passed away when Joe was twelve. He attended a special day school from the age of seven until he was seventeen. The people at the day school tried to help him walk and he tried three times to walk alone. But, he fell several times, which was scary, and the effort was too much. So, he decided to develop his mind by going to school and writing, rather than to put so much energy and effort into trying to walk. When Joe was in his late teens, it became very difficult for his mom to care for him. So, his family arranged for him to move into a care facility. The hardest thing Joe learned behind institution walls was that he would never learn to walk or speak clearly. Knowing there was more to life and with a driving spirit to achieve the best life possible, he wasn't ever happy there. Eventually, he got his own apartment through a subsidized program in the county where he lived. He has continued to live independently for over thirty years. He is currently seventy years old and lives in his own apartment in a complex dedicated to seniors and people with disabilities. Finally, living outside of institutions enabled Joe to attend college classes in writing. It also enabled him to publish the handicapped student newsletter at the college, meet people all over his community, have a girlfriend, hire and fire the people he required to take care of his needs, go on vacations with friends, pay his own bills, and manage his own life. He does have an uncanny knack of meeting people wherever he goes. He has email buddies, Skype pals, Facebook friends, local coffee bar people he chats with, local musicians he loves listening to, neighbors he visits, family, former care providers, teachers from his youth and more recently, and even strangers who seem to know who he is. Joe has been a life-long learner and has dedicated much of his time to bettering the lives of other disabled people. His parents, through the strength of their love and dedication, gave him the self-esteem to try everything and enjoy life. He hopes he has lived up to their dreams for what his life could be.
Le informazioni nella sezione "Su questo libro" possono far riferimento a edizioni diverse di questo titolo.