Very rarely do we as human beings experience what we believe to be true magic. Some people believe that magic is something that is felt or experienced. There is one place, one experience that I had as a young kid, that changed my life forever. It has shaped who I am today and has inspired me to share my story with as many people as I can using the art of magic as a medium. I wrote this piece just before taking the stage to perform at the very place in the story. It was here where I first experienced magic…
To those who have been there and know the love and the truly amazing things that have taken place, this is for you. For those who miss it, this is for you. For all those who I have met and grew up with and laughed with, and cried with, this is for you….
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Back in the summer of 1997 I was walked down a walkway, into a long room with what seemed like, and endless number of beds. Each with a name above it. When I got towards the end, I saw my name. Up on the wall above this bed. I had arrived at the Southampton Fresh Air Home in Southampton New York. There were a lot of other people around. Some were in walkers, some were in wheelchairs, and others were calmly going about their day. Some people spoke, some people cried, others just laughed. It was unlike any place I had ever seen before. I can tell you right now, I did not want to be there. The thought of leaving my mom and dad, my parents, who I never went a day in my life without seeing, did not sit well with me. So, I did the only thing I could. I cried. It was, now that I look back on it, much harder for them to leave me, then it was for me to leave them. (Although my mom will disagree with that statement to this day.) So there I was, alone, with kids I had never met before, older kids who would take care of me, in a place that I had never seen before. 12 years later, I find myself fighting to leave.
For me, growing up with a physical disability presented a whole host of challenges that I was forced to deal with at a very young age. Not being able to walk until I was 5. Needing leg braces which made me “click” when I walked. Having to use a walker, crutches or a wheelchair to get around. Having gone though my first of 8 surgeries when I was 4 years old. Living in a state of constant pain. These are things that I hope that no human being EVER has to go though. These are also all of the things that I have overcome, and have made me who I am today.
The Southampton Fresh Air Home is not just “another summer camp”. It is a place where kids with all types of physical disabilities can be themselves. Be accepted. Be loved. Not have to worry about being made fun of because they can’t run or because they walk differently. A place where all the pain of the outside world, can just disappear.
That is what SFAH did for me. It allowed me to be who I wanted to be, and not have to worry about being made fun of or hearing someone say “You can’t do it” because you know what, I did it. And I will continue to do it. This camp is more then just a summer getaway. It is a bond, a love that is so pure, nothing else on the planet can compare to it. To everyone who I have encountered at the Southampton Fresh Air Home. All of the staff who helped me grow over the 10 summers I spent there. As well as all of the kids that I have grown up with, I love you. I miss you all.
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For more information on SFAH, please visit www.sfah.org
