Well, minus the traffic-stopping good looks, the regular voice, the clothes, the dates and the cool wheelchair. I realize that’s an awful lot of missing qualities, but I really think it has more to do with attitude. It’s a spirit and passion for life. It’s about not letting disability keep you from living a full, active life.
I caught three of the four Push Girls on a talk show last week, The Jeff Probst Show. I’m proud to say I had no idea who he was until I flipped by Survivor (not watched, I swear) and recognized his crater-sized dimples. I’m such a fan of the show (Push Girls, not Survivor,) I decided to re-run my “Pushing the Envelope” post, because I think everyone should meet these girls.
It’s hard for me to judge how successful the show is or why. I love it. And I really don’t think it’s because I’m in a wheelchair. Lots of able-bodied friends I know have watched it and become hooked.
I did find out something on the talk show I didn’t know. One of the girls, former model Angela, recently returned to modeling on the show. She had quit young — 21 or so — because she didn’t like promoting the message of ideal beauty. She’s modeling again, paving the way for others with disabilities, because now she has a different message to put out there. How cool is that?
Jeff asked them what their life-changing event had taught them. Their answers seem to sum up what I’m always trying to convey. That life is short. It can change in an instant. Their second chances reminded them that life is precious.
Original Post:
There’s just no competing with California. Better weather, healthier lifestyle, prettier people. Even the girls in wheelchairs are glamorous in L.A. Case in point: “The Push Girls,” a new reality show featuring four beautiful, brave women — all disabled.
Hooray! Finally, a reality show I can admit to watching. And a show I can relate to. Not that I have much in common with these women aside from height, or lack of it. No, next to this bunch with their stylish clothes, high heels and blinged-out wheels, I look ready for the nursing home in my stretchy pants and granny wheelchair. But I applaud them. They refuse to be typecast. They’re pushing boundaries and breaking molds. Their new series on the Sundance Channel (Mondays at 10) is dispelling any preconceived notions of what it means to be handicapped. Continue reading “I’m a Push Girl!”