Exciting News, Dancing Queen Storytime & the Intriguing Combo of Religion/Disability

Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

In My “Trying New Things” Era

Welcome and thank you for being here! I’ve attempted some new things lately like my debut TikTok video earlier this week and this newsletter, so bear with me as I get into a newsletter groove! There are two more new things I’m trying that I wanted to share with you but I’ll start with the most exciting one first:

• Some of you may know this already, but I’m working on a memoir! It’s been a long time coming but it feels so freeing to finally get the scenes that have been rolling around in my head for a decade out on to the page. It’s like I’m expunging these stories from my memory by pouring them out of me, finally. Someone else is the keeper of those tales now. Not my burden anymore. Well, that’s the plan at least!

  If you subscribed (and if you haven’t yet subscribed, what are you waiting for? 😉), you received one of the first scenes I’ve actually written for my manuscript for the memoir. Writing a book is very different from writing a blog or article and requires more storytelling. If you have read any of my work before, you might be able to tell that the scene I sent you is in a vastly different style of writing from what I’m used to, showing rather than telling, so it’s been a process! But a fulfilling, challenging, sometimes excruciating, but overall uplifting one at that. More details to come!

• I LEARNED HOW TO DANCE! Okay, okay. Not exactly. But at a recent family wedding, I was out on the dance floor the entire night mouthing the words to every song and bopping my head to the beat or at half the speed. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind watching people dance, but it is more fun being in on the action. Now I’m sure everyone watching me was probably like, “How precious! The girl in the wheelchair is on the dance floor!” or “So nice of her friends to include her!” but who freaking cares? I was happy and the people around me seemed happy too.

  But what made me so happy was the realization that I still had rhythm. I was moving my arms to the beat too but the movement was probably too small to be noticeable. So, I could feel the rhythm. I knew precisely when I was supposed to move my arm, but the nerve signals from my brain to my arm just weren’t fast enough. So, rhythm is not in your muscles. Rhythm really is in your blood. I still have rhythm in my blood. And that makes this former Bhangaroo/Bollywood dancing queen very happy. That conclusion was further reinforced this past weekend as I watched my sixteen-month old niece dropping it like it’s hot by herself in the middle of a brewery to none other than “Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G. Rhythm (and taste) is definitely in the Rajani blood.

• I would love to know if you’ve tried anything new lately so I don’t feel like I’m the only old dog learning new tricks 🫣 Reply or comment!

Storytime

I want to share with you all a story in each newsletter from my past month—a story that’s funny or profound or just unique as seen through my disabled perspective. I could have told you about the Taylor Swift concert or the tattoo, but this story was just too good to keep to myself.

While I was on the dance floor embracing my new-found rhythm, a random drunk gentleman kept trying to dance with me. This had obviously never happened before because I’ve rarely been on the dance floor during the last fifteen years and I’m not *exactly* approachable. Since I’m SUCH a confident, mature young lady, I responded to his advances by refusing to make eye contact with him and instead, doubling over with uncontrollable belly laughs. He, somehow, took this as a positive and stepped up his flirting which made me laugh even harder. I just thought the whole situation was comical because 1) my sister-in-law, Puja, was being hilarious about the situation and 2) I just thought the idea of this tall, decently attractive, very drunk man flirting with me was just so ridiculous or a joke. My brother and dad were visibly unamused which, of course, made me laugh even harder. I couldn’t even look up for the picture! But don’t worry, he left us alone after the photo opp.

Spoiler alert: he may or may not have gotten arrested later that night for starting a bar fight. So clearly, I still know how to attract the all-stars. ;)

We Win Update

Our annual gala is finally back after a pandemic-induced hiatus! It will be held on Saturday, September 9th in Charlotte so mark your calendars! Tickets go on sale on our website (wewintogether.org) on July 3rd. We’re still looking for individual and corporate sponsors so let me know if you know anyone who is interested!

Robert Reid, a We Win grant and Dhiren D. Desai grant recipient has agreed to be one of our speakers! I’ve had pretty much a front row seat to his incredible journey and fierce determination, and I can’t wait for you all to hear his story in his own words.

Advocacy Updates

Later this month, I’m participating (virtually) on a panel with the Institute of Theology and Disability at Baylor University where we will be discussing the inclusion of disabled people in religious communities. While I don’t consider myself a religious person, I’m definitely entrenched in the Hinduism realm because of how intertwined Hinduism is in Indian culture.

I feel like disability has such a precarious relationship with religion. On one hand, many with an acquired disability cling to religion to give them strength and hope. But on the other hand, many are jaded by religion—confused as to why any God would let bad things happen. On top of that, many religions believe that disability is the result of some moral failing. Like a karmic retribution or a well-deserved punishment. So yes, religious spaces may be physically accessible but the institution itself isn’t necessarily as welcoming to people with disabilities.

I know whenever I’m at the temple, the people staring at me are probably assuming I’m there to pray for a cure. Once, as a stranger was leaving the temple, she walked by me, sniffled, and gave me a peck on the cheek. Um, excuse me?! So going to the temple doesn’t make me feel fabulous, but I know it’s important. Not for me, but I think it’s important for our community to merely see me in public. In my opinion, disability visibility is the only way to overcome the schism between religious communities and disabled people. I look forward to hearing what others on the panel will have to say!

Quote of the Moment

As I’m trying all these new things, especially writing the manuscript, I make sure to keep this one quote by the Irish novelist Samuel Beckett in mind. It’s one of my (many) favorite quotes and also happens to be tattooed on the forearm of the only Swiss tennis player I stan, Stan Wawrinka ;)

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Book Talk

Currently reading: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Book recommendations: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (Historical Fiction), Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (Fantasy), and The Idea of You by Robinne Lee (Romance)

See ya next month! ✌🏽

This came out longer than I anticipated! Sorry! I’m still learning. But I would LOVE your feedback: what you liked or didn’t like, what you would like to see added, etc. Thank you so much for reading and for supporting me! You have no idea how validating and life-affirming it is to have people who actually want to hear what you have to say. That your words have value and meaning. And by extension, you have value and meaning too. ❤️

Special thanks to Zach Seivers for the idea and Amber Petty for the advice!