The Impossibility Of 200 Words

This week was the deadline for Miss BC Pageant contestants to submit their media release write-up so that it can be published in each contestant’s local newspaper (mine being here in Port Alberni).⁣ ⁣

We were given a two hundred word limit and it has been an agonizing process trying to figure out what to say about such a behemoth subject in so few words. I want to thank my major corporate sponsor and life coach and my meditation instructor for their support, time, and energy in helping me craft this final piece from my original thoughts because the struggle is real folks, this crash is doing a number on me!⁣

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How does one summarize how quickly life can change in 200 words? You can’t but I can tell you I’m not your ordinary Miss BC contestant. My unexpected medical journey has led me down a path in which I cannot work and instead must spend my life managing a debilitating chronic disease at home. ⁣ ⁣

I’m honoured to share the stage with female powerhouses who are pursuing higher education, careers, and activism. I was once on a similar path but my story changed in 2014 with the onset of an illness you can’t see: Central Sensitivity Syndrome, a condition with little research and even smaller resources, which has forced me to take healing into my own hands. I sought floating, meditation, and writing to help me cope.⁣ ⁣

I’m not doing this pageant because I’m fearless but my conviction to be a voice for the invisibly ill is stronger than my fears. There are those of all ages who look healthy but are ill, who are young but sometimes need assistive devices. This pageant is where I’m starting to shape my voice and by sharing my story, I hope to be an advocate to foster more awareness and compassion in our society.