CMT Bloggers, Unite!!!

I realize my title sounds a little like a superhero cartoon (Wonder-Twin powers, ACTIVATE!) and maybe there's a reason for that...I feel a little like a superhero this week.  It's a nice feeling, especially for a person who often feels very un-superhero-ish.  Yes, I know that isn't really a word, and I am sure spell check will be quick to point that out to me.  Though anyone who faces daily physical challenges will probably understand what I mean...sometimes it's hard to feel like a superhero when you have difficulty opening simple things, lose your balance just crossing the room, and gracefully do things like walk into walls (rather than through them!) 

But I digress...mostly because I don't want to dwell on what makes me feel clumsy right now.  Instead, let me tell you why those things have managed to fade into the background.  As you will know if you read my last post CMT Awareness Month, 2012  we are pushing extra hard to raise awareness about CMT across the country...this includes helping awareness to grow within the medical community, so in the future people who have this disease can enjoy (well, maybe not enjoy...) visits with medical professionals that DON'T include having to teach them the meaning of CMT.  As you can imagine, that takes up a lot of extra time, and doesn't really leave you with a feeling of confidence in their skills.  One of the things I have been involved in recently is a contest for Artist's World Magazine, called 'Expressions Art Challenge for CMT Awareness'.  Artists with CMT, or artists who have friends with CMT were asked to submit their work for the 'Expressions' contest, for AWM's September edition...and three of my paintings were chosen.  YAY!  And even more exciting is that Artist's World will be in galleries and museums across the country, helping to further raise awareness of CMT.  Bigger YAY!!

Though even bigger than having my paintings printed in a magazine is something that has happened within the past few days.  After writing my last post, I received some comments from other CMT bloggers around the country, and was actually able to chat with one of them.  And it is always exciting to meet other people who deal with the same issues I deal with everyday, and who have taken the initiative to blog about their stories as well!  This disease has many different components to it, which can include lovely things like pain, and loss...though one of the biggest components is often this feeling of alone-ness where you feel like no one else in the world exists with CMT.  And even though you know in your heart that isn't true, when you move through your life explaining over and over again what CMT stands for (NOT just country music, people!) that feeling of being alone can grow.  I was 38 before I even met anyone else who had it...and now I feel like I am part of a community of CMT-ers, and CMT bloggers.  Maybe in this growing technological world, we can reach enough people to raise the awareness of this disease to an acceptable level...and maybe CMT-ers world wide will finally have a voice, and be heard!

 

  

So take a moment and check out the links below...I guarantee, it will be well worth the extra clicks!  You will see some exceptional CMT bloggers, and learn their stories.  And if you check out the last link to AWM, you may even notice that one of the other artists is none other than Lenka from 'Lenkaland', who is also an amazing photographer.  Maybe someday I'll actually get to meet these wonderful people in person at a CMT-blogger conference...who knows what the future holds?  In the meantime, keep reading and sharing these various blogs and help us in our 'superhero' fight to raise awareness for CMT!

My Life With CMT
Lenkaland
Clicks for CMT: Bloggers Raising Awareness
Artist's World Magazine