Book: Get Up, Your Bus is Here - Living My Life With Cerebral Palsy by Dr. Stephen A. Dantzig

categories: Book, Disability, Hawaii, Photography, Psychology, Inspiration, Living Life, OCD, Keinbock's, Success, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Independence, Cerebral Palsy

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Dr. Stephen A. Dantzig

about this book: "Get Up Your Bus Is Here" Living MY Life With Cerebral Palsy is a book about overcoming obstacles to lead a successful and adventurous life. The stories and examples are from my life, but have universal appeal because each and every one of us face difficulties that seem insurmountable at times. The tag line to my book sums up life for all of us: Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs. My hope in putting my life to paper is to inspire others to face what life throws them head on and to find ways to succeed in spite of those challenges. This book is not just for people coping with physical disabilities. The main message for my readers is YOU CAN CHOOSE TO LIVE PRODUCTIVELY AND HAPPILY REGARDLESS OF WHAT LIFE THROWS AT YOU. LIFE'S OBSTACLES ARE MOSTLY ACCEPTED IN YOUR HEAD. LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW TO LIVE EVEN WITH REALISTIC LIMITATIONS…SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS TRULY ARE CHOICES THAT WE CAN AND DO MAKE EVERY DAY!

My message is told through stories ranging from my breech birth (which caused my Cerebral Palsy) through earning a doctorate in psychology to moving to Honolulu, Hawaii. The many adventures that I share include ski trips, SCUBA dives, "Break dancing," starting a softball team, surfing, and opening my own photography school. My life's challenges are covered too. I talk frankly, and with some humor, about living with limited mobility, various surgeries, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, and even brushes with death. It was an interesting and challenging task to write this book. I decided to include some of my darkest times as well as my brightest moments to keep the book real. It did not seem fair to ignore these times: Life is hard and one of the primary lessons that I learned writing this was that your quality of life is related to how you handle those inevitable dark times.

The book title is taken from one of my earliest life experiences: "One day I was walking to the bus and caught an icy patch and wound up face down in the snow. My mother stood true to Dr. Shelsky's word and with tears in her eyes told me to 'Get up. Your bus is here.' She would have obviously helped me if I was hurt, but the early message to me was also clear; I was going to learn to fend for myself..." It was a lesson that in many ways defined my life with positive and not so positive results at times.

Some of the proceeds from all book sales will go directly to local chapters of the United Cerebral Palsy Association to support programs for kids with disabilities.

• "My life lessons will not be wasted, but because of Dr. Dantzig's wit and wisdom, enable me to live a life of fulfillment. Thanks to Dr. Dantzig I am able to relish in a whole new perspective of life and thrive while doin' so. A must read for everyone to enjoy!" — Bruno Tittaferrante