Running a little late for my interview with the esteemed Lianne Nicholson, I walk into the room slightly flustered. I sit down on the chair that is uncomfortably close to her, and apologize for being late. I notice that she does not notice how close I am to her, and I move back slightly. This draws my attention.
S: Sorry about that, I noticed you didn't move at all. Does it not bother you having someone invade your personal space?
L: Oh no, not at all. I'm used to it with my brothers always trying to bug me.
S: Is this a normal thing that your brothers like to do to you?
L: Yeah, they are always trying to get on my bad side.
S: So I will try to keep this nice and straightforward, but away from your work. As we know, you are an esteemed movie director, but what other hobbies and interests do you have?
L: Well, I like to read, build model cars, configure puzzles, draw cartoon characters.
S: Why puzzles? It seems odd that you would be one to do that. I myself am not very good at them, and never quite liked them.
L: Well, my mom was always big into them, and my interest sort of just stemmed from it.
S: So you must be pretty close to your mom I take it. What do your parents do for a living?
L: My mom works as a cashier at Bargain Shop, and my Father- well I don't know exactly what he does.
S: So you're not as close to him as your mom?
L: No, not really. I still blame him for the divorce of my parents.
S: I am so sorry to hear that. So you have how many brothers and are they younger than you?
L: I have two brothers, and they are both younger than me. They live with my mom and I just outside of town.
S: I guess that explains why they like to bug you! So what do you want to do as a career, besides the movie business?
L: I want to be a prosthetics and orthotics engineer.
S: What made you want to do this sort of work?
L: Well, my one brother, who has Cerebral Palsy, has to have braces on his legs to allow him to stand. I want to partake in a job that allows people to use their limbs to the extent they should always have been able to. I would feel very good fixing the mobility of the disabled.
S: That is a very noble goal for you. I think that sounds great. Has it been hard to live and deal with a brother with such a debilitating disease?
L: Absolutely, it is very draining. There are certain things that are just very hard to do with him, and you have to help him out. You just learn to cope with it. I like to help out though, because it helps the family.
S: Absolutely. So what would you tell someone who is in a similar situation if they were feeling down about having a sibling with a debilitating disease?
L: I would tell them to ask their parents if they can help out. They could help out by carrying or moving the child. Things like this just happen, and they should just try and help out. Your parents are under a lot of stress, and you have to realize this. Don't get frustrated, it is not their fault, and just do your best to help out.
S: It sounds like you are a great influence for your family and for anyone really. That is some very good advice. Have you tried spreading it around?
L: I did a speech about my brother when I was in elementary school. I went for a day when I was in a wheelchair for an entire day. It was definitely an experience. It created a whole new understanding for me. Simple things like getting water was difficult. You had to put it on your lap, pour it, and so on. It just brought my understanding to a whole new level. I just didn't understand concepts before, but now I do.
S: I think that is a very powerful thing to do for your brother. What made you decide to spread the message to the kids in elementary school?
L: Some kids would make fun of him for being in a wheelchair and I wanted to let them all understand why he was the way he was. That it was not his fault at all.
S: That is an awful thing. I don't like how people can laugh and make fun of someone who has a disease that is out of their control. So I can see that your very protective of your brother.
L: Absolutely, and my mom is as well. We would protect both of my brothers with our lives. We care so much about them, if anyone tried to mess with them, they would have to deal with us.
S: You seem to have your head on straight about this. You are a great sister, and they are lucky brothers to have you. You put up with a lot, and I guess that's how you learned to cope with personal space invasions. So if you were going to leave one impression on the world, what would it be?
L: I just want the world to remember me as someone who helped others to live the way they always should be able to. I want people to live life to their full potential with my help.
S: I am sure you will help many people! Thank you so much for your time!
Cerebral Palsy is a group of disorders affecting body movement and muscle co-ordination. There are thousands of people in Canada with this disorder. To learn more visit http://www.ofcp.ca.
No comments:
Post a Comment