That is the title of the book I’m going to be talking about today.
Strangers assume my girlfriend is my nurse by Shane Burcaw. It’s amazing! I’m not even done reading it yet, (not even close), but I love this book already.
I won’t spoil too much, I promise. And here’s a little summary. The book is about Shane Burcaw and his life with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). He goes through the ups and downs of his own experience with this disability. How others perceive it to be. If you don’t know him already, he has a YouTube with his wife, Hannah. The channel is Squirmy & Grubs, and you should go check it out.
The book is definitely a MUST-read. I promise you won’t regret it.
3 reasons why I love this book already (and I’m not even halfway done yet!)
1. I love his writing style
His writing is like a friend talking to you about their day, sort of, not really. It’s very casual and lighthearted.
He writes in a way, that resonates with you. It doesn’t sound technical, and you don’t have to imagine too hard to picture the scenario that he's trying to show.
His writing is very smooth, I can always imagine where they’re at and their surroundings. It’s easy to understand, but at the same time, he evokes so many emotions that the reader feels what he’s experiencing too.
I don’t exactly know how to word this, I just enjoy his writing. I think he connects with the reader on a deeper level. And uncover a lot of things about us, as author and reader.
2. It’s never boring
Now, to preface this, I haven’t read too many of these “this is my life” and “this is what’s going on” books before this one, so I'm probably not a good judge of this.
But never once was I like “let’s skip to the next chapter, this is so boring” sad face. His writing keeps me on my toes. And there is always something going on. I think his storytelling is really good.
And maybe this is a bias because I watch his content on YouTube, and I would like to keep up with what’s going on in his life. Updates. I feel like if you haven’t watched any of his YouTube videos with Hannah, it wouldn’t resonate as much as it would with someone who does watches them.
3. You learn something in every chapter
As someone who is also disabled with another disability, I could relate so much to what he’s saying.
The fear and anxiety of people forgetting about you. I used to be in a wheelchair, and it wasn't motorized, it was the ones where someone had to push you from behind. Did anyone leave me behind? It happened a couple of times in high school, and let me tell you, not a fun time.
Back to the book. I like how he gives readers a different perspective on a situation. It really grinds your gears and makes you start thinking about these different aspects that you wouldn't think of before.
And that is what I really like about this book. He brings us into his most vulnerable spots and shows us the story behind it all. The raw, unfiltered moments.
At the end of every chapter, there’s always a lesson to be learned. Whether it’s reflecting on yourself, others, or the world, there’s a moral in the chapter. I reflected on myself. I realized the prejudices I had about the people in his story, and without knowing the whole context, assuming the worst. I want to say though, it’s s slippery slope. You’d always want to be safe than sorry. I'll talk more about this point in my review of this book.
I feel like I appreciate the book a lot more because it really gets me to think a little deeper about certain situations. I do feel I've learned a lot of things and shifted my mindset for the better.
Conclusion
I’ll say it again, it’s a MUST-read. I’m not even halfway through the book yet, but I am already loving it.
Put it on your wishlist, and put it on your reading list.
When I’m done with the book, I’m going to do a review of it. So stay tuned!
Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you in my next post!