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Lynne Podrat
a book bubble about
Listen To Me: How My Down syndrome Brother Saved My Life
Biographies & Memoirs
Author Insight
Staying True to One's Self
Humans pride themselves on the importance of honesty, with their friends, spouse, children, and co-workers. What about ourselves? Are we always honest with ourselves, our dreams, goals, passions, pursuits? Is it honest to "stay the course" because that was the 5 year goal beginning with our dream college and now this is it, so what's the problem? Or, is recognizing our path may need us to modify those goals, while still carrying the same passion towards a career even more satisfying, and, therefore more successful. We make things so much more complicated than necessary sometimes. I marveled at the simplicity whith which my brother, Bruce lived his life. Please don't misunderstand, living with a disability is neither easy nor comfortable. But, Bruce was comfortable and confident within himself. He knew his strengths and weaknesses, played to his strengths and charmed others into helping. He was the perfect example of staying true to himself. I have never looked back at the change in the focus of my career and know my heart is full having helped Bruce and hundreds of children feel successful.
Book Excerpt
Listen To Me: How My Down syndrome Brother Saved My Life
Mission Impossible: From Northeast High School to Penn State
September 1971-July 1972
Animals. I loved animals. Dogs and horses were my favorites—wild, trained, large, small. I dressed my neighbor’s kittens in doll clothes and walked them in my girlfriend’s stroller. I walked the neighbors’ pets just to help. I was going to be a veterinarian from the moment I walked my pet pigeon on the Atlantic City Boardwalk at the age of three. The poor thing hurt its wing and my Zadie Pop helped me tape the wing and build a coop to keep it safe. I loved that pigeon. I devoted every morning and evening to its care. Until one day it flew away, breaking my heart. I was inconsolable. My grandfather patiently explained how I had saved this animal and I should be proud he was healed. “But if he loved me, he would stay,” I wailed. “If you truly love him, you should respect his need to be free.” My Zadie was my hero.
Bruce came and my mission to save animals changed to saving Bruce and children like him. That way, he could live a normal life with the family. I had found my voice. I was confident, jumping into every endeavor headfirst, eyes wide open without fear of a belly flop. I have since learned to give some thought prior to jumping. I’m confident, not stupid. I might waver a time or two, or even three, but once committed, I’m all in—no stuttering from the start. That is how I walk. I’m a strider. Head up, shoulders back. “She knows where she’s going” or “That’s a woman on a mission” were comments that whispered, carried on the breeze created as I passed. I did have a mission now, a very special mission: becoming the woman I was meant to be.
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