"Live your life--burn the tires off, get new tires, and burn them off again."
That's Michael's philosophy. To him, life is meant to be lived. It's about saying yes to new experiences, finding adventure wherever you can, and never letting someone else decide what's possible.
That outlook has shaped Michael's life from the very beginning. As a child, he was always eager to try something new, and he was surrounded by family and friends who made sure he could. One of his favorite memories is sledding after a fresh snowfall. Whenever it snowed, his friends would stop by so he could join them. After every ride down the hill, they pulled him back to the top in the sled so he could do it all over again.
When Michael was 11 years old, he attended summer camp and surprised everyone by jumping off the high dive. By the following summer, campers spent the entire week asking if he would do it again. He waited until the last day of camp before climbing the ladder and taking the leap one more time. "I didn't do it for me," Michael said. "I did it to show other people they could do it too." That mindset has stayed with him throughout his life.
Today, Michael is always thinking about the next adventure. Instead of saying something can't be done, his family and friends work together to figure out how to make it happen. Alyson now supports Michael as a provider when he needs additional assistance. She has known Michael her entire life because he is her dad's best friend. Every spring, the two sit down and create a list of experiences they want to have during the year. What started as a few ideas written on a chalkboard have evolved into a whiteboard full of adventures waiting to happen.
Every year ends up different. One year was all about concerts, and together they saw Journey, Def Leppard, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Another year focused on festivals, with visits to the Strawberry Festival in Newark and a campground where friends were staying. They also share a love of comedy and have enjoyed shows at The Funny Bone in Easton. The list is always growing because, for Michael, there is always something new to experience. When other friends and family see the list, they then want to get involved too!
Last summer, Michael added a pontoon boat ride on Buckeye Lake near his home to the list. For many people, using a wheelchair might have seemed like a reason to say it wasn't possible. Michael and his family saw it as a challenge to solve. They securely mounted his wheelchair to the floor of the pontoon boat, then used a crane and a Hoyer lift to transfer him into position before trailering the boat to the lake and launching it into the water. Both Michael and Alyson laughed that getting onto the boat turned out to be more of an adventure than the ride itself.
Alyson is quick to point out that while she has helped Michael experience new things, he has challenged her just as much. On her first day as his provider, she was nervous about some of Michael's medical routines, but Michael reassured her that she was doing great. She was also hesitant to drive his accessible van at first, and again, Michael encouraged her every step of the way. Years earlier, Michael hadn't even realized an accessible van could be customized for him. Once he learned it was possible, he knew it would give him greater independence with the support of his provider. Today, they're celebrating the final payment on that van. It is a milestone that represents years of adventures together and many more still to come.
Michael has also introduced Alyson to some of his favorite hobbies. He taught her the basics of football before taking her to her first Cleveland Browns game, and now they watch games together every season. He also introduced her to fantasy football. The two play in the same league, Michael won the championship last year, and they're already looking forward to drafting their teams again this season.
Whether it's a concert, a comedy show, a football game, or a boat ride, Michael believes life is about making memories and sharing them with the people around you. His advice for anyone who's nervous about trying something new is simple: "Start small. Take a walk around your neighborhood, then explore a little more. Don't worry about what anyone thinks or says. You deserve these experiences as much as anyone else."
Michael has spent his life proving that adventures aren't defined by how easy they are. They're defined by the willingness to try. As he likes to say, "Live your life--burn the tires off, get new tires, and burn them off again." Judging by the ever-growing whiteboard of ideas, he's nowhere near finished.