Dave Smith

My name is Dave Marcus Smith. I am 51 years old. I have Spina Bifida with Myelomenigocele. I am the baby of five kids. I have 4 sisters. I am married with 4 step daughters whom i consider my own.

When I first set out to write this i had no idea as to what i would write about. In my opinion I have a rather boring life most of the time. I pretty much like to stay home and watch television or read. I like fishing and spending time with family.

Recently when meeting people I have heard you must have had a bad life being that you can not walk. I did not know why it has happened suddenly. It seems like quite a few people have been negative towards my life. I am quickly to reply no Ive had a great life. I may not be able to walk but that has not stopped me from going outside when I was younger to play ball with my cousins. It did not stop me from going to college or getting a job. It has not stopped me from learning to drive and I have the most wonderful wife that any man could ask for.

I was told a long time ago that you will become the people you hang around, therefore, I do not hang around people that are negative towards me or negative in general because I do not want it to rub off on me at all. I try to stay as positive as I possibly can and I try to inspire others to be positive also. I am a firm believer in negative thoughts will bring negative results and vice versa.

If you are down on yourself because of your disability pick yourself up, and do not let that get the best of you. I was in this position at one time in life. I made a choice to stop throwing a pity party for myself and decided i wouldn’t be unhappy. Yes some things you do you may fail at but how will you know if you do not try. Keep the attitude that there is nothing that you can not do. If there is something that you can not do. Find a new way of doing it.