Trent Zinner

Since an early age I believe that I have been more self reliant in my daily life than other people my age. I think that in a lot of cases I was less likely to ask for something or help in areas and therefore I just decided to do things for myself. I have long had a belief in doing things for myself- probably because I was afraid to ask and not be understood or have to explain something.

Secondly, I believe I have developed a drive to persevere. As a result of having to generally overcome or over explain areas of my daily life, I have developed an attitude that doesn’t give up easily. When I was younger I had to create a way to be understood verbally and that almost always involved more work than that of my sibling. As a result I think that I don’t give up on something as easily and have a patience for putting in the work.

Another area of strength that was created from Apraxia is my ability to understand what worry, being frustrated and being anxious feels like. I think that some would see this in a negative light, but I am working on trying to consistently understand and handle those feelings as they arise. Being able to deal with those feelings over time has helped me be balanced.

Lastly, I would say that I have empathy for a lot of people. Having apraxia affects my communication always. I think I have a better ability to feel empathy for people who struggle than most people. I know what it feels like to struggle always and I know what it is like to feel like I’m out on the margins. As a result of this I generally have an ability to be close to my emotions and compassion.

-Trent Zinner