The blog of Christopher Gullmans
It's come to my attention that there are those who think I'm a very negative person who should try to be more positive. And to that I say: I'm sorry that your limited understanding of me causes you to mistake my guardedness for negativity. So please allow me to explain. Yes, I admit that I... Continue Reading →
For the past couple of years, we've been living in a sea of uncertainty about our future. But the one thing that was never uncertain was that we'll never settle for the next best thing. By virtue of our beliefs and the people we are--shaped by our unusual pasts and experiences--we've made some choices that... Continue Reading →
How do you find a sense of belonging when you deal with uncommon or rare issues? How do you reconcile disabilities without losing your sense of self-worth? Are you selfish if you don't stay and try to fix a broken system? We recently returned from a trip to the United States. Part of the reason... Continue Reading →
There was a time in life I would've given anything to be "normal" (as far as I'd seen from those around me). However, having unexpectedly found myself in the rather unique position of becoming a father—with disabilities (Charcot-Marie-Tooth, Tourettes syndrome)—to a son who also has a disability (Down syndrome) has taught me that I almost... Continue Reading →
A lot of people associate grief with the death of a loved one. But I'm here to tell you that grief can also look like this: Seeing part of yourself slowly disappear at an unreasonably fast rate without explanation or means to fix it. In my case, during my late teens, I started losing the... Continue Reading →
As humans, there's nothing so recognisable as human suffering. We go through our lives with a constant bombardment of challenges, battles and misery, while trying to find those small oases of calmness in between. The extent of our perceived suffering depends entirely on circumstances, perspectives, and prior experiences. The sorrows of a child who's lost... Continue Reading →
Let's get straight to the point here: having a disability doesn't mean you are completely helpless. It simply means that you are having to learn and do things a bit differently from those around you, and that's something I have come to learn is not a failure. On the contrary, it makes you more creative,... Continue Reading →
As I'm typing this on my phone in Amadeus' hospital room, my son is resting in his hospital bed, hooked up to a device that monitors his vital signs, while a soft "hisssss" can be heard from his oxygen mask. Meanwhile, my phone is buzzing left and right with congratulations on having been awarded 2023... Continue Reading →
I know where I was born, but I don't know where I come from. I know where I live, but I don't know where I belong. I know what I call home right now, but I don't know how to hold on to it. I dream of permanence, but is that just a figment of... Continue Reading →
Sometimes, I think that I can be a bit unbearable with my positivity, particularly when I'm contemplating in text like I do here. But, I think it's worth taking a moment to explain where I'm coming from, because it's easy to have hope, faith and love when life goes well, but when life rears its... Continue Reading →
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