Once a month, Charley shares his musings on life with Charley’s Coffee Club, our dedicated group of donors who’ve signed up to make automatic monthly donations. Call this a copout, but instead of writing my own blog post today, I decided to share this month’s “Pick-Me-Up from Charley” with all of you. It’s not easy to admit that what my kid has to say is more insightful than anything I can come up with on this particular day. But I’m woman enough to recognize that this message from Charley is eloquent and from the heart, and may be just the thing you need to put a smile on your face. Enjoy!
Dear CCC,
High school has its up and downs and can definitely get old at times. But I am finally feeling the payoff…I just got accepted to NYU!
Monthly “Pick-Me-Up” from yours truly!
I’m gonna be honest with you. I am a pretty good student, but not at the very top of my class. During the application process, I was hard on myself and stressed out for being below the NYU average on standardized test scores. But I realized NYU wants me because of the unique track my life has taken and what I have to offer as a member of the class of 2023.
Because I could not play sports, I got involved in activities outside of school in my local community. I took an entrepreneurship class at Berkshire Community College. I took a summer course on filmmaking at NYU, and I participated in a program to stimulate the local economy in the Berkshires.
All this helped me see that what you learn in the classroom is only a fourth of the knowledge you gain. The greatest way to really learn is to go out and experience new countries, cultures, food, interests, and social groups. It is the interactions with people around us that make life so rich and allow us to grow into unique individuals.
Duchenne sometimes makes me feel bad because I physically struggle or need more time to finish an exam. But in a weird way, Duchenne ended up being my friend because it helped me define myself and not be like everyone else.
College is a scary time to adjust with a condition like Duchenne, but I have good faith that once I feel a new sense of community I will adjust and have the time of my life. So I guess what I have to say is this: Don’t let something bad stop you or slow you down…if you stay true to yourself, what you think is your enemy might in some way end up being your friend.
See you in the City,
Charley