Intro to Will – Where There’s a Will

Well, this is awkward. I’m telling not only Kalani High School but the worldwide web a day in life what it is like to be me, my thoughts, and perspective. I should have asked TLC to do a reality show about me, instead, I am writing a column about the experiences I go through on a daily basis.  

My name is Will Sanders, and I am currently a junior at Kalani High School. I have cerebral palsy. I have difficulty expressing things verbally but can hear and understand everything just fine.   In my own words, cerebral palsy is basically having stiff muscles 24/7, having to get new shoes every six months because of my walking, poor social skills (also know as being a loner) and not to mention the elephant in the room. I cannot talk and it generally sucks, but I communicate through my computer.  Everyone who has cerebral palsy is different and on a spectrum from very severe to low. I am glad I got this out the way for anyone who was curious. Talking about cerebral palsy is not an easy thing for me to do because it’s very personal so this is the last time I will be  talking about it for now. You can see me in the hallways hauling my backpack to my next class, sweating. I am sweating because I have to wear long, tubed, wool socks over my dense braces throughout the day. Who wears long, tubed, wool socks on hot and muggy days? Only me, thanks to my dad, who basically forces me to wear them. However, my father and I have a loving relationship. When I feel down about myself, he always says, “at least you’re not dying.” In class, you can see me quietly sitting at my desk. Sometimes I am eavesdropping in on your funny conversations in class (I have a guilty pleasure with that) and that’s how at Kalani, I meet lots of funny, nice and unique people. They are mostly other juniors in my classes.

I have traveled all over the world from Australia to Alaska with my parents before my little sister was born.I like to see the world from other viewpoints and perspectives and not just from Hawaii. I have been to three skyscrapers over my lifetime, Taipei 101, the CN Tower and the Empire State Building. These were the tallest buildings before the Burj Khalifa was built in Dubai. Fortunately, I am not scared of heights at all and love the gorgeous views when I get up to the lookouts!  I am also an avid football, basketball, and baseball fan for a guy who cannot actually play these sports. My favorite teams are the Seattle Seahawks, the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

People always ask me, “What would you do if you did not have cerebral palsy?” That is always an easy question to answer. I would be on the basketball team, shooting shots all the time and on the weekends, I would surf the big waves or skate without breaking my arm on the pavement. I have dreams at night about this but I have to eventually wake up and face life with dignity. My mind is wickedly awesome but physically,my body suffers through many obstacles. It’s like a constant battle between the two beyond belief. Despite it all, I still like to swim or do fun things with my family such as hiking on the weekends. Hiking is one of my favorite hobbies I have climbed Diamond Head and Kaena Point. I like the journey the best rather than the scenic reward at the end.  Sometimes I hike with my cousin on the weekends or go to the beach.

My cousin, Jon, who is 25 years old is the best, and a lucky man to know. He recommends shows to watch on Netflix for me, provides helpful advice to me, and brings me presents from his job that involves lots of travelling (he designs hotels all around the world and oversees them by traveling). I also have a little sister who is a five year old brat. She is very annoying when I am trying to do something important on the computer or putting Legos in the hallway to my bedroom. We are constantly battling over what T.V show to watch; she always wants to watch her little princess shows on the Disney Channel while I want to watch shows like “The Walking Dead.”  But, we always compromise on watching shows like,“The Voice”. She is very funny, sweet and can always put a smile on your face when you have a bad day.

I couldn’t imagine living without my witty humor and being able to get back up on my feet both figuratively and literally. Being humorous allows me to at look things differently and remain positive in life. I am like an NFL quarterback at life because a quarterback always gets back on his feet when the going gets tough and that’s exactly what I do.
So that being said, find me on the next “Where There’s A Will”.  There we will talk about humorous things happening and I will also be sharing out my opinion. I don’t know what the next edition of my column is going to be about, but all I will tell you is the sky’s the limit!