All my life I've been on the lookout for someone that looks like me on TV. I have been drawn to shows and movies featuring actors or storylines about disability. I remember being really excited when Mr. Mcfeely's grandaughter was a little girl who had spina bifida on Mister Roger's Neighborhood. I was six. I have never seen anybody with cerebral.palsy in a TV show, with whom I could relate. Not really. There have bee a few over the years like hilarious comedian Josh Blue, or acteress Geri Jewell, who I love because they seem so very accepting of their disabilities. The abilty to laugh at myself is something I do prettywell. These two are masters at that.
Then last summer, the world met Zach Anner. He competed in a reality show on OWN where the prize was a TV show produced by the network. Zach beat out eight other contestantants (he tied with another person) and won his own show! He is smart, articulate and fantastically funny. He also has CP. He looks almost exactly like me in the way he carries his body. His feet rarely meet the footrests of his chair. He often sits cock-eyed. His eyes are even crossed. Awesome.
His show is a travel show. Each episode features Zach exploring a different city. So far he's been to New York, Seattle Las Angles and Las Vegas. Each show kind of follows a pattern. He does something to explore local culture, a food-centric thing, and an andventure or sporty thing. He went sky diving in Vegas! Let me remind you, he uses a wheelchair. And he went skydiving. Indoors, but still. I NEED to get to Vegas. Who wants to come with me?
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