It’s Craniofacial Awareness Month. I have already done many posts and videos about my journey but I want to use this post…for a special reason. As a kid, I was like “I’m normal.” “I don’t need any help with anything I’m just like everybody else.” I practically refused to acknowledge my facial difference because honestly, it made me feel alone. Like I was the only person with a facial difference and I fought to prove I was like everybody else and could do what everybody else could do. When I did accept it as a teenager it was in a negative way. “Girls don’t like me because of my face,” was my go-to response when I couldn’t get a girlfriend.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I actually appreciated my Craniofacial Deformity. Yes, I look different but a lot of good comes with that. It means when you see me and we talk, you won’t walk away and forget about it. I leave a lasting impression. That’s awesome to me! Then throw in the fact I have been using my experiences to inspire others through motivational speaking and writing an autobiography just made it better.
However, I have to say the part that makes me most grateful and appreciative of my Craniofacial Deformity is the fact that thanks to Facebook I have been able to meet so many others with facial differences. So, that little kid inside me that always felt like he was the only one in the world with a facial difference is jumping with joy. I have met so many others with facial differences that I have connected with and bonded with and it is just absolutely amazing. I am very lucky to be born with a Craniofacial Deformity.
Corey R. Taylor 