Emily Munson, 27, is an attorney from Indianapolis living with spinal muscular atrophy. She graduated with honors from Hanover College, earning a political science degree. Emily pursued a law degree at Indiana University, where she served as president of the Health Law Society and associate justice of the Moot Court Board. At the same time, she also earned a master’s degree in bioethics. Emily was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Indiana in 2009, and currently serves on several local boards. Her interests include traveling, power soccer and winning Scrabble. Follow Emily on Twitter or enjoy her comedic tales of life with a disability on her blog.
Emily Munson
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
It’s summer blockbuster season, and I’m ready to go to the theater! Fast...
Friday, April 5, 2013
Sometimes I wonder if I am a masochist. Why else would I go speed dating? I mean, getting rejected by 14 guys in a row isn’t how most people would like to spend their Saturday night. Yet, I went back for more this week, and just received email confirmation that I was not chosen by any of the latest batch of guys, either. Strangely, I am at total peace with the outcome.
After the first round of speed dating, I was admittedly bummed that no one wanted to get to know me further. I thought I had made a few connections — I was able to chat with the Latin American guys about soccer, and floored...
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
One night, while watching “Dancing with the Stars,” I heard judge Len Goodman tell a contestant, “ You've got to risk it if you want the biscuit.” I’m not really big on biscuits, especially of the British variety, but Len was surely referring to the prize at the end. Lately, I’ve been applying his maxim to my own life, making a concerted effort to put myself out there.
While striking up conversations with others might not seem like a major risk, you may recall my previous blog discussing phone phobia. I am exceedingly shy around new people. When I discuss the issue with friends, I’m...
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Well, blogosphere, I am sad to report that Santa did not deliver on any of my Christmas wishes. Maybe I was a little naughtier than I led you to believe. Fortunately, my parents stepped in and took the family on a weeklong Vegas adventure. But before you go and get your naughty on, here are a few things you should know.
Vegas is crowded. I don’t know about your personal propensity for panic, but for me crowds can be terror-inducing. I worry someone will back into me and land on my lap or bump my elbow and drive me off a curb. Thus, instead of really focusing on the Hoover Dam or the...
Friday, December 21, 2012
I hope all is well at the North Pole. You’re probably getting pretty busy with list editing and properly insulating yourself for the upcoming journey, so I’ll get down to it. I’ve been a reasonably good girl this year and would like several gifts I don’t think my Secret Santa can muster. After all, they’ve got a $10 price limit and you have magic. Work it, Santa baby!
1. Let’s start with a staple every gal needs: a pair of stilettos. You’ll need to delegate this one to the elves, as Christian Louboutin doesn’t make them extra-wide for the accommodation of swollen SMA feet. My ankles aren’t...
Friday, September 21, 2012
Body type? Assuming scoliosis is not the “curvy” that guys are after, and noting that “cyborg” is not an option, that leaves “about average. ” Can you drive? Um, sure, since I was four. Longest relationship? One date. Thanks for rubbing it in.
Encouraged by a friend, I recently decided to create an online dating profile. My expectations were low. Three months on a paid website in law school resulted in only two dates; one was with a guy who talked incessantly about Frank Sinatra, and the other was with a creeper who wore a lab coat despite neither working in a lab nor knowing anyone who...
Friday, July 6, 2012
I like to think of myself as something of a foodie, having licked plates clean of everything from avgolemono soup to zeppole. And while I may need a cast iron stomach to keep down morsels like fried rattlesnake, I lack accompanying abs, buns or any other muscle of steel. Indeed, SMA can make eating difficult.
Last week, as I was leaving a seminar downtown, I turned right and saw that I was less than a block away from the tapas bar I had been dying to try for three years. I hadn’t gone before because I couldn’t find a ride; no one seemed as excited about the roasted goat cheese as I was....
Friday, May 4, 2012
Disability can create some unique embarrassing moments. A few weeks ago my wheel got stuck in the mud and I had to wait on a kind passerby to push me out. In college, the only route to the accessible bathroom was in my Hoyer lift, sans pants, through a co-ed dorm. It can even be awkward pointing out to chatty strangers that just because I am in a wheelchair, I don’t know their cousin’s uncle’s sister-in-law who also happens to use a wheelchair.
But my single most embarrassing moment? I was on a national stage, a dozen other women in wheelchairs on either side of me. We waited...
Friday, March 16, 2012
Cigarette smoke is terrible, especially for my SMA-compromised respiratory system. But when the smoke is coming from svelte bodies dressed in skinny jeans and pea coats and exhaled from lips that doubtlessly know how to give the perfect baisemain, it’s difficult to turn away. And so it was that I didn’t want to leave Paris after a 10-day vacation last fall. I returned a serious Francophile, savoring champagne truffles whilst Googling European soccer leagues. Even if you aren’t yet ready for escargot, I recommend taking the plunge and exploring a new destination.
I’ve always loved to travel...
Friday, January 27, 2012
Hello blogosphere! I look forward to using this platform in the ensuing months to exchange ideas on transitioning and share a bit about my own experiences. I have to admit, the first thing that comes to mind when I think about the word ‘transitioning’ is changing regimes; I think of campaigning, voting, and inaugurations. Although these images are undoubtedly steeped in my love for politics, I think the concept of changing regimes is equally applicable here. Transitioning from childhood to adulthood means that instead of relying on parents and other authorities to make decisions, it’s...
