Music from – My Short Story by Chareen Grobler
My Short Story is the inspiring story of a woman who has had to face many challenges in her life, not least of which is her physical disability. Born with a crippling disease that caused her already tiny body to start bending and twisting at a very early age, Chareen Grobler has endured much pain and physical difficulty throughout her life. Added to this was the stress of growing up with two loving but dysfunctional parents, and the burden this placed on the young Chareens shoulders. In this, her autobiography, Chareen describes the medical interventions she went through in her early life, and how her parents coped, or struggled to cope, with having a differently-abled child. Although she says that, in her early days, she never thought of herself as disabled, Chareen talks about her growing realisation of the truth as she grew up, and her acceptance of that, and her determination to make the most of her potential. She talks about her student days, when she studied Social Work, and how she tackled the world of work, with a real job, after that. Chareen became almost a household name in South Africa when she appeared in the ground-breaking advertisement for the National Association for the Physically Disabled. This event launched a public speaking career in which Chareen inspired many thousands of people, with her theme of How small people climb big mountains. Chareen, herself, is an inspiration to all who are fortunate to come into contact with her, with her ready laugh …
