Have you ever been made fun of for being different? Well, before you answer that question, ask yourself, have I ever been the one to make fun of someone for being different? I must admit that I have probably made a snap judgment about someone that I shouldn't, but I also know thoroughly well what it feels like to be a victim of the judgment.

I was born two months premature with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy (CP). Now, that seems like a bunch of gibberish. But, it means that both sides of my body are affected by my CP and that my muscles are spastic and rigid. This makes it impossible to walk normally. This type of CP is caused by damage on the outer layer of the brain, the Cerebral Cortex, and is the most common form. For me, the implications of CP include mostly walking, but also fine and gross motor skills and hyper reflexes.

Okay, so that was just a little background. Really, I am writing this column to inform people about the struggles, weirdness, and humor of living with a handicap.

There are all sorts of disabilities, some visible and some that are completely hidden. Since mine is obvious the first time people see me, most people do not know how to react. I have gotten all sorts of reactions, but I will debut my column with on of many stories of the people that approach me in public and attempt to heal my condition. I have had my diagnosis for 14 years, and I know that my disability will never be healed with modern technology. This leaves me having to deal with some crazy people that believe that "cleansing my aura" will result in me walking away scar-free, almost in a Forrest Gump kind of way.

The most recent and memorable of these incidents went something like this: I was walking with a friend in Colorado Mills Mall in Golden, and was surprised when I saw an elderly woman approaching me. I was expecting her to say something standard along the lines of "Oh, it's so nice to see you out. You do so well." I would just smile and wonder if she expected that I would be living in a closet. No, instead she sped up toward me, grabbed my hands, and started praying. She was speaking as if some holy being had entered her body and was dictating to her, like all she was doing was spewing out what it was saying.

I just stood there, utilizing everything inside me not to start laughing hysterically. The absurdity of this idea that I would walk away and act like nothing had happened was impossible for me to contain. She was with her husband, who frankly just walked away and had a baffled look across his face. She continued to gesture with her hands across my face and my legs, and by the end she was not speaking English. I had had this happen before, and I thought "Well, if she feels like she is doing something good in helping correct my aura, then let her feel good."

Finally, she stopped and asked me what my name was. So nice of her to ask, although I'm surprised she didn't already know since she was already thoroughly acquainted with everything else in my spirit...but I suppose it was a nice gesture. So, like all the other times I thanked her sincerely and walked away, crutches and all. Surprise. Then, I walked semi-quickly around the corner, waited anxiously for her to leave, and started to crack up. I couldn't help it.

Usually, those kind of encounters make my day because they make me smile. The only problem comes when I am really not in the mood to hold hands with a stranger and have them dig into my aura. I grin and bear it, though, because I don't know what else to do.

This story describes one of the most memorable and peculiar parts of my everyday life, but there still are all different aspects. Also, I know that I am not the only person in this kind of situation and that everyone has stories.

The purpose of this column is to expose something that people are sometimes intimidated by or afraid to talk about, and I would love to show people that they can open up their thoughts about themselves and others, instead of being intimidated or afraid. It is actually surprisingly liberating to talk about subjects people are afraid of, and hopefully it will help you understand people who differ from you.

If anybody has any questions to ask, comments or feedback, or any sort of experience with being "out of the ordinary," please feel free to email me at christin.loves.you@gmail.com. I will most likely tell you anything you are curious about or give you any of my opinions.