If Your Dreams are Big Enough, The Facts Don't Count!

If Your Dreams are Big Enough, The Facts Don't Count!, Michael S. Long and Karl Williams, Massey-Reyner Publishing, 1999

This is the autobiography of Long, who was born in 1962 with mild cerebral palsy and mental retardation as a result of the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck at birth. Growing up on a California walnut farm, it would have been very easy for his parents to put him in the disabled "system,"
sheltered workshops, special classes, etc. But his parents were determined to raise him as normally as possible, so Long spent his school years in regular classes.

Long does a fine job talking about his experiences in school, a mostly forgettable time. If the problem wasn't that the school work was too much for him, then it was being picked on by the other students. In, and after, high school, when it came to the opposite sex, Long made friends very easily. But, when he suggested a more serious relationship, they backed off, because of his disabilities. After graduating from high school, Long told his parents that he realized they had to keep him in the regular classes, but except for one high school course in government, he hated school.

After high school, Long discovered a talent as a motivational speaker. Working for a regional organization for the disabled in northern California, he traveled all over the region (by bus or getting a ride with others) giving talks on disabled issues. His eloquence really comes through in this book. Speaking to civic groups and special education teacher candidates, he attracted attention in
Sacramento, California's capital. In 1992, Governor Pete Wilson appointed him Consumer Coordinator in the Department of Developmental Services, the first disabled person appointed to a state-wide position in America.

This book works on a couple of levels. It's a very well done look at life with a disability, as seen from the "inside." It's also a fine motivational book that shows that anyone can achieve great things. For those who think that life is too difficult, read about someone who started with less than most people.