 Bob Smith Poet/Owner 55 Surrey Way Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel (914)946-3726 Fax(914)328-6432 |
Bob Smith -The Right Thumb Poet & Motivational Speaker
“Robert is a 43-year old man who is non-verbal and non-ambulatory. He lives in a group home for people with disabilities in Greenburgh, N.Y. Robert has quadriplegia and cerebral palsy and requires a wheelchair for all transportation inside the residence or in the community. He cannot ambulate himself in a manual wheelchair but is able to efficiently operate his power wheelchair. Robert requires total care for the completion of all self-care skills, including: bathing, brushing his teeth, shaving, combing hair, dressing and undressing, meal preparation and eating (finely chopped diet), getting in and out of bed, and taking medications. He also requires full assistance with all independent living skills.“ If you were to only read this description, a picture would emerge of a man totally dependent, incapable of impacting the world around him. But when you open your eyes to see beyond the disability, the light of creativity pierces brightly through the darkness. He is more than a “handicapped person” , he is a poet and motivational speaker. Spending years in institutional settings honed Bob’s ability to capture the qualities of those around him . His emergence from isolation gave birth to the spirit that defines and nurturers his creativity . Despite his dependence on others, he has defined his own strength and fostered his capacity to observe and give voice to beauty and suffering in the world around him. In his poem” Who Am I “ he declares his humanity in the opening lines “Not a vegetable. I am a person who has feelings in my heart and you will get to know who I am.”. His ability to appreciate limitations and self reflection are evident in this work WHAT IS STRENGTH? Am I strong if I can lift a car in one hand, but cannot wipe a tear from a friends eye? Does my strength begin with muscle, or does it start with my soul? Only when I begin to overcome my weakness instead of other people, will I truly be strong. The fire of isolation, in a world where he couldn’t communicate, forged a determination to express himself that is stronger than steel. Using his best tools, his right thumb on a lap board, he has dictated to those patient enough to listen , letters and words composing his poetry. In 1999. Bob obtained a Dynavox, speech generating device that uses a screen with programmable words. He has laboriously mastered file creation, save, retrieve, etc. Using a pointer strapped to his head, Bob can now create his own writings, which then need to be edited. His independence level in creating written works has increased tremendously despite the difficulty in controlling his body. The staff of Westchester Arc developed a person-centered plan with Bob that will help him accomplish his personal goals; to write independently and become a published poet. Bob’s circle of support has been inspired by his determination to succeed and has created a platform to launch a successful business venture “Handmade Poetry”. His product line includes a anthology of 22 poems “Reflections of My Life”, cards with a beautiful nature photograph and a poem, and matted-framed poems over nature images. Bob has also been realizing his dream of teaching people about Cerebral Palsy and has spoken to over 1,000 adults and students about his life and overcoming the challenges of having CP. As a motivational speaker he is available for engagements. |