School started yesterday. Circus School!
Two awesome days down, many more to go.
It was the typical usual first days kinda stuff. The orientation meeting. The group assessment. The individual meeting with the fantastic Intensive
Program Director to discuss goals and fears. The
only thing we didn’t do was play one of those “meet and greet” games, like
saying a name and tossing a ball. I’m
pretty sure I’m fine with not having done that.
Yesterday,
being the first day, we had the
sit-in-the-circle-welcome-orientation-rules-expectations meeting. Jamie, our amazing Intensive Program Director, (did I mention she's awesome?)
mentioned how she felt like a bad first date, doing all the talking. Don’t worry though, it wasn’t bad at
all. It was only all the necessary
stuff. And of course we went around
saying our names and where we’re from.
Then, while paperwork was being handed around, we went around again and
told a little more about ourselves, like how we got into circus. When it got to be my turn, of course I
mentioned the “Fun with Circus Skills” class and the first time I got to try
German Wheel and going home and googling it, YouTubing it, and trying to find
where to purchase one. Then, and I did
feel a bit…like awkward first date topic, I told everyone that I have Type 1
Diabetes, that there are a few things to be aware of, but it doesn’t make me
fragile. It can be a difficult thing to
bring up because I don’t want people to treat me different, but to be aware of
it makes for a safe environment. It can
be difficult to bring up especially if it’s the first time meeting people
because I’d like them to get to know me first. You know?
But, this was definitely different than a first date, because of the
nature of not only the group, but the activities and the environment. I do have to say, though, that in all the
evening classes I have taken, no coach or other student for that matter has
ever treated me as if I am fragile. They
still have asked the same of me as any other student. But it is nice to know that they understand
if I up and leave the room or go sit down for a snack, it’s for a very specific
reason (low blood sugar). It might have
felt awkward to announce it in such a large group, but I would rather feel
awkward for a moment than have everyone give that questioning look when I have
to grab a snack.
I am
suddenly reminded of more than one of my former-elementary-school-classmates
telling me (within the last few years) that they often thought, “Why does Abby
get a snack now?”
How
many times have I had to give the Diabetes introduction? By now you’d think I’d be used to it. I remember in 7th grade in my “homeroom”
we all got a couple of M&Ms which we could eat after we said our name and
something else about ourselves. When it
was my turn, I said something like, “Well, it turns out M&Ms do melt in
your hand. I can’t eat these right now
because I have Diabetes.” Etc and so on.
It probably wouldn’t have been a big deal if I had eaten them, but at
the time the common thought was still “No sugar.” And I was not yet on the pump, still treating
with 2 regular and nph (mixed) injections each day. How far I’ve come, and yet I still find it
difficult sometimes to introduce myself as a “PWD” = Person with Diabetes.
