Monday, June 29, 2020
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Beacon of Hope
I am excited to announce a beautiful partnership with the ARC of Mississippi to help people cope in this Covid-19 pandemic. The ARC promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.
I encourage each of you to continue holding during this pandemic because there are better days ahead. It is my hope that the video above gives you the motivation needed to move forward with joy. Now is not the time to give up on you! Pain is real, but so is hope!
Dwight
Monday, June 15, 2020
Volunteering - A Way of Life
This Covid-19 Pandemic
has had a devastating impact on so many individuals, families, and businesses. With
so many people hurting, it gives me an even greater drive to make a difference
through service. A life time ago when I was 22 and had just graduated college,
I was filled with excitement about the road ahead. I had a job teaching
math and technology, and I was on my way to becoming a football coach.
That was my dream, and the world was mine to conquer. I had a few dollars
in my pocket and a new car. Things were too good to even think they might
change, and I couldn’t wait to take on each new challenge. Fate, however,
had other plans, and my life was turned upside down one rainy afternoon by a
71-year old drunk driver.
Before my accident, I
gave little thought to the community around me. I was too busy being full
of myself. Too busy starting out on my new career, too busy dreaming of
becoming a head football coach, and too busy simply engaging in all the things
young men dream about. After my accident, I became busy with other
things. I was busy recovering from surgeries. I was busy learning
how to use a wheelchair. What I didn’t know is that I was also busy
learning all the things volunteers, my church, my family, and my community did
to support me. That understanding came more slowly, but over time it
became part of who I am and the man I would become.
People volunteered to
raise funds for my medical expenses. People volunteered to do things at
my home. People volunteered to spend time with me and take me on excursions.
It seemed like there was an army of volunteers pitching in to help me get my
life back. And while I was grateful throughout, it has taken almost a
decade for me to realize just how important all these people really were to
me. They did what they did out of love. They were not seeking
reward or recognition. They were not seeking anything for themselves
other than the knowledge that their help was needed, and they would answer the
call. With almost a decade in the rear view mirror, I now understand what
volunteering is all about, and it has become a core part of my life.
Volunteering means
knowing you can make a difference. Volunteering means engaging with your
community and extending yourself beyond your direct personal interest.
Volunteering sometimes means giving tough love, and it always means giving
encouragement. Volunteering means knowing you have something you can
offer to people who need it, and then doing the practical things to make it
happen. In the past few years, my volunteering has meant mentoring people
who met with sudden and life-threatening disabilities like spinal cord
injuries. It has also meant speaking countless times before high school
and college groups about personal responsibility and the risks of drinking and
driving. What I also learned is that volunteering filled me with a joy I
hadn’t fully understood. It has meant making a difference in somebody’s
life, even if I didn’t always know who that person was. Mostly
volunteering has meant being part of something bigger than myself.
According to Volunteering Matters, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s
important to identify new ways to make sure amazing volunteers can keep
supporting their communities. There are also other incentives, like making your
efforts count by calculating your service hours through Reward Volunteers hosted by Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
I don’t mean to preach,
but we can all find the time to contribute. We just have to make it a
priority. The rewards come back tenfold, and the feeling of self
satisfaction can’t be matched. Every community needs our support, and it
just seems right to give a little back in recognition of all the good things we
get.
Have a great week.
Monday, June 1, 2020
Welcome!
Living independently and
thriving with a disability is no task for the meek. Every day strains
your body and your character. Every day brings new challenges, and every
day is a test of endurance. But every day is also an opportunity for
victory, and that’s what matters most. It is not the struggles people in
the disabled community face, although that’s important. It is not the
setbacks they encounter. What matters most is to go on, to make a
difference, and to contribute in a positive way to the world around us. That’s what matters, and that’s what this blog is all about.
After two years of
surgery after surgery, life-threatening setback after life-threatening setback,
and a grueling rehabilitation regimen from being hit by a drunk driver, I emerged with an unwavering
resolution in my heart and I vowed to make it all count for something. I wanted to share my story and bring hope to others with disabilities, while letting the world know that a disability is not a
death sentence. I found my purpose to inspire and give others hope. I don't believe there is anything too big for me. It’s that
spirit and resolve that brought me to the world of inspiration
speaking. I've shared my story with tens of thousands, offered the lessons I've learned to the world at large, and let my humor uplift the
hopeless. I want to continue to help even more!
Come join us on this blog as I bring my story of hope and words of encouragement, inspiration, and empowerment to an even broader audience.
Dwight R. Owens
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