The Jessica Williams Way

A couple of weeks ago I attended a talk by Jessica Williams, a correspondent on the Daily Show. It was a lot of comedy, but she also got serious when bringing up issues like racism and sexism about which she is passionate. She told anecdotes and jokes and recited history and facts, but ultimately it came down to one theme: it's okay to be angry and sad about things going on in the world or in your life, but you can't just "sit" on it; you have to do something about it. She brought this up in the context of how she, as a black female comedian, uses comedy to express her passion regarding issues that affect her as well as the rest of us. 

This was an important message to me. I think all of us who've dealt with BPI can recall a time when we were angry or sad about our limitations or the ways in which we are different from others. And I think it's a choice we have to make whether or not we let that anger and sadness seep into us and take control of our lives. It's neither an easy choice nor a conscious one if we don't recognize it. This blog is an example of how I've chosen to do something about these feelings instead. That doesn't mean that I don't wake up angry or sad every now and then, or that I can conquer it every time I do. But often I find ways to redirect those emotions.  Like I said last time, it's easy to fall into helplessness, but we have to choose a different path. We were dealt brachial plexus injuries and now it's up to us what we do with them. I choose the Jessica Williams way.