Exeter-Milligan students heard an inspiring speech on the
last Monday in March. Jerry Traylor, a McCook native, shared the message
of positive thinking that has made the difference in his life.
Born with cerebral palsy, Traylor endured 14 operations
before he was 14 years old. Despite wearing braces and crutches he shared
a picture where he is still smiling as a young child, “I knew I was blessed
because I could do things in my imperfections and I knew I was loved.”
His goal was to help the students see their strengths and
use them. “Don’t worry about what you lack, use what you’ve got,” was a
big part of Traylor’s message.
Through the years, Traylor has refused to let his physical
challenges limit him. He once decided he could do a 2 mile run on
crutches, and even though it took him longer than everyone else he decided to
go further and try a marathon.
That marathon, according to Traylor, “Was the dumbest thing
I ever did because I wasn’t prepared,” but he went on to do more, learning from
his mistakes.
He encouraged the students to not listen to negative people
and “to make plans rather than excuses. Become a participant rather than an
observer.”
Not only did Traylor finish multiple marathons but he
learned to not put a limit on his potential; he went on to climb Pike’s
Peak. About that experience he told the crowd, “If you know you can’t do
something then you don’t know. So many people choose to take the easy way
out.”
He encouraged the students to take care of the physical
bodies they were given and to make good choices about how they treat their
bodies noting, “I was given Cerebral Palsy at birth. It kind of messes with me
when people don’t care about their life.”
Traylor emphasized that choice in friendship is one of the
most important areas of the students’ lives, “Pick people who have empowered
you, the type who encourage you. Walk the other way if people are telling
you what you can’t do. Find people who believe in you when you don’t believe in
yourself. Popularity is not nearly as important as purpose.”
Traylor talked about his friendships when he talked about
his next accomplishment, jogging (on crutches) from the Golden Gate bridge to
the Brooklyn bridge. He jogged for 18 miles a day with his friends
supporting his effort. Instead of telling him he couldn’t do it, “My
friends asked how they could help me.”
Traylor used his disability as his platform, “I didn’t think
these crutches and crooked legs would help,” but he found at several of the
stops on his jog across America, it did make a difference.
In one town, they redid the biking trail, enlarging it to
hold a wheelchair. To Traylor, that was one of the highlights of the
seven and a half month adventure.
Traylor has written a book titled “Living Care Fully” about
caring about people and is currently writing a second book titled “Live Aim
Fully.” He lives in Arizona and gives inspirational talks to students and
professionals all over the nation. Once every few years he travels to
Nebraska and makes a special stop in Exeter to visit family (Cousin Roma Rhodes) and share his
message with Exeter-Milligan students.
