Once I went to law school and got married, my time became very precious. Working as a staff attorney for a state agency, taking care of a house and finding time for writing is often all I can manage.
Consequently, volunteering with the Arthritis Foundation has taken a back seat to drafting contracts, helping to make our house more accessible and, in team with my husband, writing free-lance articles about people with disabilities and travel.
I don't really miss the fund-raising dinners or the staged photos with celebrities very much.
I had my time in the spotlight and I have my memories of television interviews, speeches before congressmen, and, of course, the Moose.
While I still have my qualms about using kids to raise money for charities, all in all, my experiences were positive ones. I gained poise, grace and public speaking skills that have helped me in my legal career.
And maybe along the way I touched the lives of a few kids with arthritis and their families who were as scared and confused as I was more than a quarter century ago when all I wanted was to do handstands in my back yard again.
Heidi Johnson-Wright is a licensed attorney and Americans with Disabilities Act expert living in the heart of Miami's Little Havana. She and her husband, Steve, write free-lance articles about travel, entertainment and enhancement of life for persons with disabilities.
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