The greatest chains are not those that we can see.
Freedom is relative. It is only when you have tasted true freedom that you realise how shackled you were before. Freedom of choice is a God-given privilege but it is one of the freedoms that society so often manages to chain. While slavery was technically abolished by legislation in countries across the globe at various stages during the 19th century, shackles remain. The greatest chains are not those that we can see. There are more severe yet invisible chains that we notice only by their effect – the restrictive powers of mindset, prejudice, fear and misunderstanding.
We seem to persist in creating pre-determined boundaries for anyone with a physical impairment (‘disability’), whether it be hearing, sight, mobility or any other impediment. Is it because the abundant knowledge that we have shouts down our faith in the God-given potential inherent in all humanity? Or is it merely more convenient for a society that lives fast, regulated and shallow?
Sheryl James, born cerebral palsied in 1986, was limited by various parameters calibrated by neurologists, experts, scientific literature and even family. She was fortunate to attend mainstream schooling and successfully completed her Bachelor of Arts (Health and Social Sciences) at university. Academics were not her passion though and she found that her real dreams were shackled by the possibilities defined for her by others. There were things that she was not supposed to be able to do – physically that is. Polocrosse – a dangerous, high speed team game on horseback, was one of these. Another one was running ultra-marathons. And then of course there was that secret dream that sounded so crazy that she couldn’t share it with anyone for years. You can chat to her about that journey.
In 2017, she took a leap of faith and resigned from her ordinary job to seek out her true purpose. She was about to enter unchartered waters. Why we are sharing this, is so that, if you face similar challenges, perhaps her story can encourage you to defy your odds.
Here is an excerpt from her journal that gives us a glimpse of her frustration with boundaries in general:
Jobless and dreamless was how I felt at the beginning of 2018, with an urgency to find purpose. After that cup of coffee in Mike’s, I was determined to find it… that is, purpose. I just had to find the right sport club or horse-riding club – any club where something was happening. Maybe in another province? I stayed with my brother in Johannesburg for a week or two and started helping a lady who was doing horse rides with autistic children. I had previously done a facilitator’s course for horse therapy. I remember being a little frustrated because I thought, “There should be so much more for these children than just being led around on a horse.” Don’t get me wrong – I do not despise the days of small beginnings, but there is so much more that we are capable of doing. We are often too afraid to try to shift the boundaries that society and experts have established for children with special or different needs.
Indeed, she has successfully shifted her boundaries. But more than that, we have come to realise that, although there will never be an end to the ‘shifting’ process, it cannot start until you take the first step to freedom – decide that you can. Unbridle.