Sailing Reflections: IDD Celebrities and Inclusion
As I rode the waves aboard the ferry towards the Hook of Holland, for a moment I felt like a character in a movie. I am not sure if it was the slow ebb of the ferry floor beneath me or inadequate sleep the night before, but I felt a bit distant from my environment, like a sense of derealisation/depersonalisation. I missed my family and friends with whom I was last on a ship based vacation a few years ago, and felt a deep sense of gratitude for this adventure I am on with my rally mates! The last three days have been intense – so full – and so Zindagi-na-Milegi-Dubara-esque!
The experience of feeling detached from one’s thoughts, personality, body and environment is called derealisation/depersonalisation. It often has its roots in childhood experiences. There is a higher chance of anxiety in neurodivergent folk being accompanied by de-personalization.
If it ever happens to me, I try to not resist it and ride along, cooking up a nice little narrative for myself, for my character, in the movie that is my life.
But I do recognize that it can be quite difficult for many who experience it regularly and intensely, feeling detached from themselves as if they are looking at their own life through a camera lens.
Talking about being a character in one’s own movie, whilst on our way to Denmark, cant help but mention Morten and Peter. They are celebrities with Down Syndrome who are extremely popular in Denmark. A single viewing of any of their videos shows how ‘at-home’ they feel in front of the camera!
There are a whole bunch of celebrities with #downsyndrome – Chris Burke, Jamie Brewer, Tim Harris, and Sujit Desai – all of whom have risen to fame despite their ‘disabilities’ and have in fact become renowned for their unique abilities and personalities.
I look forward to our next stop in Denmark, especially as I would love to explore a place where folks with Down Syndrome are so celebrated – how would the perception of people here towards neurodivergence be? It’s an important question as it is clear that pop-culture impacts us deeply. I mean, that movies help me make sense of my short derealization episodes speaks volumes for the influence of pop culture, no?