I did not grow up in a home where I had a lot of alone time. Between my slew of siblings and an around the clock rotation of nannies/housekeepers/family helpers, there was never a quiet moment for thinking. That is when I discovered those very railroad tracks. One day I had it with all the chaos, and I walked out my front door in no particular direction. I stopped at the railroad tracks, and waited until the train passed through, but I could not help but wonder the whole time, where did that train come from. So, after it was out of site. I stepped up on the tracks and walked on them as far in the direction that the train came from as I could. It seemed to be infinite. Every once in awhile, I’d step off the tracks and wait for a train to pass, and then I’d get back up and keep walking. The railroad tracks became my go to spot for thinking. It was so quiet after a train passed and there was never a single soul around. I walked the tracks, each time hoping to find an end, but I never could.
These railroad tracks represent the three themes of myself. The first is that the tracks represent my curiosity. The second is that the tracks represent hope and my tendency to always look forward and be hopeful of what is there. The third, and final is the most obvious reason, because it is stated on my homepage; “Even if you’re on the right track, if you just stand there, you’ll get run over.” This is, perhaps, the most apparent theme of my original work and the subsequent projects. I was in a wheelchair and now I am not. It is a simple statement, but the complexities behind how that came to be are detailed by my writings. I did not get there solely because of the doctor’s capabilities, or solely because of luck, I got there through hard work, perseverance, and hope. I did something when I was in a wheelchair to make sure I would get out eventually, and that was me getting on the right track. But, it did not end there and I did not get on the right track just to get run over. I continued with project II and project III, to bring attention to able-bodied privilege, so that people in wheelchairs someday will not have the truly rotten experience I had.