Ok, so I realize the title is a bit of a misnomer.
I’ve never played tennis competitively, but I’m not bad. Hopefully this video helps you see how it can be done with one hand.
See. One-handed.
Alternate titles I considered:
How To Jump Over A Tennis Net Without Dying One-Handed
How To Sweat Profusely One-Handed
How To Be Dad-of-the-Year One-Handed
Enjoy!
March Madness is in full swing, so I thought, “Why not post a video of how I shoot a basketball?”
I’ve always loved playing basketball. You can see the joy on my face in this video from 1987. (I think this was the only time I ever played basketball with my prosthetic arm.) There’s just something about that “swish” as the ball goes through the net. Even better if the net is made out of chain. I’ve never played organized basketball, either for school or a rec league, but I’ve always played with my friends. Mostly we play 21 and I hold my own. Usually.
I remember once when I lived in Minnesota, I went to a park to play with my roommate. He was a black dude from Milwaukee who gave himself tattoos while we watched TV at home. I was the only white kid at the park. I called next game over and over, but they never let me in, so finally I just marched my little self out onto center court and stood there defiantly. “I’VE. GOT. NEXT,” I said sternly. A few of them laughed, but they could sense I was serious and they let me pick my team. I was so amped-up, I was flying around the court, making shots left and right. At the end of the game, they all gave “the white boy” his props…and I promptly left while I was on-top. Genius move, I think.
It was only on my way home that I thought, “Not only am I white, but I have one arm.” Not a single one of them mentioned it and Jehmel, my roommate, never said it was a factor, but part of me wonders.
Regardless, that day I proved I could hang with the big boys.
Literally. Every one of them was about a foot taller and at least 100 pounds heavier than I was.
(My only regret in the video below is that I didn’t block one of Sam’s shots and scream in his face. That would have been epic.)
Checkout Kevin Laue as an example of a guy with one hand who’s really good at basketball!
He’s got almost a foot and a half on me. Lucky.
(Join the LOH Facebook community and follow on Twitter, too!)
Tony Memmel’s music is always filled with hope. And authenticity.
His new EP, Clenched Hands Brave Demands, is no different.
Themes of movement and growth are pervasive throughout Tony’s new project, whether he’s talking about the world spinning on without him or our desire to be simultaneously speeding up and slowing down in life. Like I said earlier, I love Ton’y authenticity, too. So, while we’re all trying to grow, he recognizes that sometimes it doesn’t feel that way (from Spinning on Without Me):
When you stand, you risk the fall
I put my money down, I play my hand
Another year on track
for two steps forward, two steps back
and I don’t wanna be there anymore
My favorite track is the soaringly beautiful I Could Make You New. I love the lyrics at the beginning of the song:
My blood is grief, but my veins aren’t jaded
My heart is light, but it gets so weighted
down with everything I hold onto
Sometimes that means hanging on for dear life, too
The title track is my next favorite. I think it’s the tightest song on the EP. I could be totally off here, but there’s something Springstein-ish about it. And Lesleigh’s vocals on this track are perfect; a beautiful touch. Listen to it here:
Make sure you’ve subscribed to Tony’s blog, liked his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter so you don’t miss the announcement when the EP is officially released next week!
I’m a big fan of learning from experts.
So, when my friend Travis told me that Kyle Maynard was coming to Wisconsin this weekend, I got really excited.
I used my trick and emailed Kyle earlier this week and when he responded, I was over the moon!
After a rough start (car trouble), I made the two hour trek to Tomah from Madison and arrived just as Kyle’s book-signing session was starting.
Me and Kyle
After meeting Kyle briefly, I hungout with his best friend and manager, Joey, for the next hour and a half. Joey is great. It was a blast to connect with him and pick his brain about speaking and publishing.
The hosts of the event invited me to stay for dinner and afterwards we all headed over to the high school to watch Kyle’s presentation. There were probably a thousand people there! And Kyle’s talk was fantastic. Poignant, hilarious at times, powerful…he has a gift for challenging and encouraging others. If you haven’t read his book, No Excuses, you really should. He wrote it when he was 19 and it’s perfect for kids and adults alike. His “No Excuses” message is still prevalent, but as he said, “If you come across someone who’s positive 100% of the time…RUN.” He realizes that we all have those days and even those periods in our life when excuses creep in, but how do we respond to those times? Do we let them keep us down or do we get back up, dust ourselves off and move forward? He challenged us to get rid of one excuse last night. We can all handle that. So, what’s one excuse that is keeping you from what you want to be doing? From your dreams?
Get rid of that excuse.
He also spoke about finding your purpose, your “why.” When we know our why, there’s no how we can’t overcome.
It was so fun to watch all the people talk to Kyle after. Seeing their smiles and tears and hearing them laugh; clearly that’s what it’s all about for Kyle. Hearing their stories.
Yesterday was an experience I won’t soon forget. Kyle and Joey were both gracious and kind and I count myself lucky to have gotten the chance to get to know them. And to top it all off, Kyle agreed to do a little interview for LOH! “Joey, can I borrow you for a minute?” I asked, needing a camerman. Yeah, I probably could have phrased that differently. Oh, well. Enjoy!
Make sure you go to Kyle’s website and checkout the videos of him being super famous. You can also follow him on Twitter. And the documentary about his quest to fight MMA, A Fighting Chance, is on Hulu (naughty language alert).
Emily Rapp is really smart.
When you read her memoir, Poster Child: A Memoir,
Poster Child is the story of a girl becoming a woman. It’s the tale of a young woman struggling to find her identity, while thinking she’s got it figured out already. It’s complex and interesting and it’s good.
Emily was born with a condition which required multiple surgeries that ultimately left her missing most of her left leg. In Poster Child, Emily recounts her experiences with surgery and the subsequent trips to various prosthetists. She was the March of Dimes poster child (thus the title) and learned how to play the part of the happy overcomer, while inside she struggled. Her disability drove her to overachieve; to prove to everybody that she could not only do things, but she could be the best. Nothing less than perfection was acceptable.
Emily’s vulnerability in Poster Child is admirable. And thorough. At times it makes you cringe and others, cry.
And while I recommend Poster Child, I have to admit that I connected with it less than I thought I would. Her writing style is certainly more literary than I’ve been reading lately, which made it a bit more challenging to digest. But, the main difference, I think, was that her perspective was heavily feminine. Which is great, don’t get me wrong! Emily struggled with body image issues and admits, “I may never fully understand or even accept the body I live in and with…” which is something I’ve never struggled with. At least in regards to my arm. I’m aware enough to know that many, if not most, women struggle with this, though. Magazines, TV, movies, the internet…the media has been telling women what they should look like forever. So, Emily’s struggle is not unique to limb different women, though it adds an unchangeable element that is impossible to ignore. “It never occurred to me that the expectations I had about people’s perceptions of me might be myths and that other people might have issues with their bodies, too. I believed my deformity trumped everybody else’s physical preoccupations. Narcissistically, I thought, What could possibly be worse than a missing leg? and organized my thoughts around this assumption,” she says.
Emily also seemed angry about her difference much of the time, which is a normal and common reaction, though one I’ve never had. She felt like she wasn’t whole, which makes sense because she lost part of her physical body. I am now the way I was born, so this is the wholeness I’ve always felt. I’m seeing more and more the differences between congenital amputees and others. There is a real sense of loss that happens when our bodies change in such a traumatic way.
And while there are differences, Emily and I certainly share some commonalities. Our pursuit of perfection has, at times, paralyzed us both. Learning to accept ourselves and not to base our worth on our accomplishments is something all of us need to learn; some of us more than others. Her fear of failure is also familiar to me. Those of us with limb differences have this innate pressure that we must succeed or suffer the pity we so despise. For me, this is often left simmering in my subconscious, though I know it’s there.
I also appreciated Emily’s candor and honesty about her struggles as related to her faith. Her insights into the theology of disability and her transparency regarding her time away from God are agonizingly beautiful. I’m the associate pastor of my church and have a degree in Biblical studies but can tell you honestly, I have never thought about the theology of disability. Even when my psychology professor, Dr Goodpaster (the atheist), told me I should be mad at the God I so foolishly believed in because of how He made me. I’m so grateful to Emily for opening my eyes to an arena of theology that seems so obvious to me now, but that I’ve missed for years!
I hope to high Heaven that this doesn’t come off as sexist, but I highly recommend Poster Child to women, fully-limbed or not. Her insights into issues that women deal with more regularly than men are powerful. And everyone, men included, can learn from Emily’s vulnerability and resolve to learn about herself. Introspection and self-improvement are dangerous battlegrounds and Emily is a fabulous example for us in these regards.
(Be forewarned that Poster Child is for adult readers only. Adult language and sexual themes are pervasive throughout. Right now Amazon has copies for $5.98 each…go buy one: Poster Child: A Memoir
It’s official…you can now buy a LOH mug!
And tons of other stuff.
I’m excited to announce the opening of the Living One-Handed CaféPress shop!
I have to be honest…I barely know what I’m doing on CaféPress, so if you have any tips, let me know. It seems like it’s easy enough, though, and looks like it should work great.
Here’s the other thing I’m feeling right now: I’m selling a bunch of stuff with a caricature of myself on it. Hello?? That’s weird. But, the reason I’m doing it is because I believe in the mission of LOH and the more people that find out about it, the better.
Thanks so much to everyone who has supported LOH already and has shared the love! You are amazing.
So, head over to the shop and take a look around. Take advantage of any deals going on right now. And feel free to share the love!
As of today, I’ve been married to my wife for 11 years.
My wife is beautiful. Always has been. She’s also hilarious. A killer combo. She’s an incredible mother. She loves Jesus with all her heart. And she loves and cares for those around her more than anyone I know.
To say I married above my means is an understatement of magnificent proportions.
The last year or so has been a fun and interesting time for us. As I’ve come to realize my unique position as a limb-different person, Julie has been right by my side. She’s been so supportive and encouraging. There’s nobody I’d rather do all of this with than her!
It’s funny to think back to our wedding day and remember our vows. “I’ll do everything in our marriage with one hand. That one is a fact.” I was light-hearted about my arm even then!
I remember after I proposed my dad saying something like, “I always wondered who would end up with you.” I’m going to have him unpack that for me someday, but I’ll bet every parent of a limb-different child has the same thought. Who will choose my child? Not in a bad way. Just in a “Who’s going to see past the difference and love the whole person?” way. Which is why I also said in my vows, “Thank you for loving me the way that I am, inside and out, and I want to love you the same way…forever.”
Well, parents, I’m living proof that a one-armed guy can end up with a beautiful, funny, talented, compassionate, intelligent, wonderful woman.
That said, I can’t guarantee everyone will be as lucky as me.
Happy anniversary, Jules.
(I thought I’d share our montage that we played at our wedding. It makes it look like we got married 40 years ago! Ahh, technology.)
There’s nothing like seeing a grown man jump rope.
You’re welcome.
In elementary school I participated in “Jumprope for Life” and I had no problems. Kids are creative.
Enjoy the video and I’d love to see YOURS! Post them on the Facebook page!
I’ve always loved playing sports.
Especially football.
Not me, but still one-handed.
I found out recently that playing football is one of the only times my friends think about me having one arm. One said, “I remember playing football one time and not even thinking about you having one hand until you made this amazing catch going deep and stopping in my tracks like, ‘Wait, how the heck did he just do that?'” My friend Steve said, “The only time I am really conscious of the fact that you only have one arm is when we are playing football and I am the quarter back. I know that if I throw the ball towards your left shoulder, it’s going to be extremely difficult for you to catch the ball! So, I am forced to think a little bit more when I am throwing to you, and I really try to throw to your right side.”
I’ll be making many more videos of me playing sports, I’m sure, but for now here’s one of me playing catch with my son. I figure it’s better just to see it done than to have me try to explain it.
This was originally posted June 23rd, 2011, on RyanHaack.com
I’ve seen Finding Nemo over fifty times, I’m sure. Sometimes I make my kids watch it just so I can watch it with them. I mean, what’s not to love? A cute fish, an overprotective dad who really just loves his son, Ellen, mass murder by a barracuda…I could go on and on. Plus, there are tons of great lines, like, “Just keep swimming!” and “To the top of Mount Wanna-hock-a-loogie!”
Now, there’s an obvious connection between me and the little guy, Nemo. In case you’re unfamiliar, or you just haven’t noticed before, he has a “bad fin.” I’ve always kind of wondered what lead to that part of the story as far as the writers are concerned. Like, did one of them have a child or relative with a limb difference and they worked it into the story? Curious. Anyone able to hook me up with a writer from the movie that knows? C’mon internet…do your thing. (Update: I asked Andrew Stanton – writer and director of Nemo – about it on Twitter and he said, “personal experience.” Hmm.)
And while Nemo seems the logical choice, here’s the truth: I actually identify more with Gill. And not just because he’s voiced by fellow Wisconsinite and total creepy dude, Willem Dafoe. This scene helps explain why (I know it’s out of sync, sorry):
See, I grew-up having one hand. A “bad fin.” So, I get Nemo. I understand him. But, as strange as this may sound, I’m actually challenged by Gill. He’s an adult with experience, like me, and even though his motives were somewhat suspect, he came around and really took Nemo under his wing. Er, fin. Bad fin. And I’d like to do that, too. I’d like to encourage people who have limb differences like me. Wait, do I have a new hero? I think the answer is yes.
My earlier post about staring garnered a lot of amazing responses and one of them was from a mom named Molly. Molly’s daughter Ryan was born with a limb difference, like me. Now, there were two things I loved about Ryan right off the bat: 1) She has a sweet name and 2) she’s wearing a pink Transformers shirt on their website. Amazing. I also loved Molly’s attitude about Ryan. When talking about her limb difference, she said, “I’m sure you will not be at all surprised that this has NOT slowed her a bit. She is a joyful, brilliant, fearless wonderfully made little girl to say the least. I wouldn’t change a single thing about her.” I believe it.
What’s really awesome is that Molly started something called The Lucky Fin Project. They sell these amazing bracelets to raise awareness and to “celebrate the wonderfully made, one bracelet at a time.” I and my family are so proud to support her and her family as they “educate, celebrate, support and unite.”
You should totally go checkout the bracelets available and get one. I promise you they really are awesome. And it’s a great cause. Oh, and she has these stickers you can get, too:
I know this seemed like it turned into a big plug for the LFP, and to some extent that’s true. But, it’s only because I think it’s a great idea and I know Molly’s heart is to help people. And that’s what I’m after, too. I want to partner with people who are telling others that they are beautiful and talented and valuable. And that’s what Molly’s doing. This beautiful bracelet she’s giving them is a visual reminder of the beautiful person they are. I love that.
And I think Gill would, too.
UPDATE: It’s giveaway time! Just make your entries below and you could win this guy:
