Before I was an English teacher, I was a freelance journalist for newspapers. I wrote for several small newspapers as I followed my husband to where the U.S. Army chose where our home would be every few years. My husband and I both are retired now, but I still find writing a personal interest. Here is an article I recently wrote for The Mighty and several other pieces I've written over the years:
How I Relate to Superheroes Because of My MS
by Tamara Netzel
published on themighty.com October 2017
I didn’t know it at the time, but four years ago, I was given superpowers.
Like most superheroes, I continue to learn about my powers and how
to use them for good.
Sounds cliche, but hear me out please.
Like most superheroes, I continue to learn about my powers and how
to use them for good.
Sounds cliche, but hear me out please.
I have multiple sclerosis (MS) and many of my symptoms are
invisible to others which makes it that much harder for people to
understand my illness. Superheroes are often misunderstood
individuals. Often they are somewhat outcasts of society. Yet, rather
than become bitter by how others treat them, their thoughts evolve
into armor or a shield to see life in a different way in which others
aren’t capable of seeing. This has happened to me after my
diagnosis of MS. It started three years prior to my diagnosis
when I woke up with the entire room spinning around me and I
walked around feeling drunk for two weeks after. Then I lost sight
in my right eye temporarily for another two weeks. The doctors
could not tell me why it was happening. So, I began learning my
superpower of faking well. This became my secret identity like
Superman has Clark Kent, or Wonder Woman has Major Diana
Prince in the U.S. Army.
invisible to others which makes it that much harder for people to
understand my illness. Superheroes are often misunderstood
individuals. Often they are somewhat outcasts of society. Yet, rather
than become bitter by how others treat them, their thoughts evolve
into armor or a shield to see life in a different way in which others
aren’t capable of seeing. This has happened to me after my
diagnosis of MS. It started three years prior to my diagnosis
when I woke up with the entire room spinning around me and I
walked around feeling drunk for two weeks after. Then I lost sight
in my right eye temporarily for another two weeks. The doctors
could not tell me why it was happening. So, I began learning my
superpower of faking well. This became my secret identity like
Superman has Clark Kent, or Wonder Woman has Major Diana
Prince in the U.S. Army.
I pretended to be well because the test results said I was well, so
it must be true. I believed the power must be mine then to be well.
“Push through the pain and be tough like ‘normal’ people do,” I
would tell myself. I switch to my secret identity all the time as I insist
on living happy and enjoying life when I’m able.
it must be true. I believed the power must be mine then to be well.
“Push through the pain and be tough like ‘normal’ people do,” I
would tell myself. I switch to my secret identity all the time as I insist
on living happy and enjoying life when I’m able.
People see me smile and doubt my illness. People also look at
Superman and Wonder Woman and for some reason don’t believe
they are Clark Kent and Diana Prince, and vice
versa. How can they be both? Why don’t they just stay as superheroes?
Superman and Wonder Woman and for some reason don’t believe
they are Clark Kent and Diana Prince, and vice
versa. How can they be both? Why don’t they just stay as superheroes?
They need a break and they have to protect themselves from the
bad guys by laying low and saving energy for when it counts. Me too!
I’m not that strong all the time. I need breaks from trying to look well.
Wonder Woman can’t have superhuman strength, speed, and
durability all the time either. She and I both get weak from fighting
so hard. I hide out quietly after being Wonder Woman for a while
by being like Diana. I can’t stay as Diana too long either. If I didn’t
choose to be positive and happy sometimes, then I’d have to be
a supervillain blaming all my problems on others and punishing
the world.
bad guys by laying low and saving energy for when it counts. Me too!
I’m not that strong all the time. I need breaks from trying to look well.
Wonder Woman can’t have superhuman strength, speed, and
durability all the time either. She and I both get weak from fighting
so hard. I hide out quietly after being Wonder Woman for a while
by being like Diana. I can’t stay as Diana too long either. If I didn’t
choose to be positive and happy sometimes, then I’d have to be
a supervillain blaming all my problems on others and punishing
the world.
When I finally got my diagnosis after three years, I thought that would
be the breakthrough and now I could drop the act. Now everyone
would see I am not making it up, finally accept me, and help me.
Not true. I still have to fight for the help and acceptance I need to
want to feel good. Superheroes experience this as well. They
can’t help wanting peace, happiness, and equality, yet continue
to be misunderstood by others. People start to doubt their intentions
for looking so good in their tights, cape, and bracelets and tiara in
Wonder Woman’s case.
How dare she look good! Superhero stories often show that their
struggles to be understood give them intellect and courage to cope
with the persistence of the bad guys.
be the breakthrough and now I could drop the act. Now everyone
would see I am not making it up, finally accept me, and help me.
Not true. I still have to fight for the help and acceptance I need to
want to feel good. Superheroes experience this as well. They
can’t help wanting peace, happiness, and equality, yet continue
to be misunderstood by others. People start to doubt their intentions
for looking so good in their tights, cape, and bracelets and tiara in
Wonder Woman’s case.
How dare she look good! Superhero stories often show that their
struggles to be understood give them intellect and courage to cope
with the persistence of the bad guys.
I put my superhuman courage to use, just like Wonder Woman
when I was overcome by embarrassment the first time I needed
to use a cane in public. The fear of judgement or pity made me
feel like I was wearing my tights and underwear like a superhero
and getting stared at as some “weirdo.” Eventually, I would use
that cane with pride like a cape of power. But I didn’t do it without
the help of a friend.
Like all superheroes, I had people placed in my life, my vigilantes,
like Wonder Woman has her Amazon advisors to give courage to
keep going. This allowed me to have the perspective others lack to
focus on the few things in life that really matter. It’s funny how I
used to worry about the silliest things. I rarely worry now.
Superheroes don’t worry. They jump into action and do what is
needed to survive, as I do.
when I was overcome by embarrassment the first time I needed
to use a cane in public. The fear of judgement or pity made me
feel like I was wearing my tights and underwear like a superhero
and getting stared at as some “weirdo.” Eventually, I would use
that cane with pride like a cape of power. But I didn’t do it without
the help of a friend.
Like all superheroes, I had people placed in my life, my vigilantes,
like Wonder Woman has her Amazon advisors to give courage to
keep going. This allowed me to have the perspective others lack to
focus on the few things in life that really matter. It’s funny how I
used to worry about the silliest things. I rarely worry now.
Superheroes don’t worry. They jump into action and do what is
needed to survive, as I do.
Superheroes have weaknesses like Superman has Kryptonite.
Extreme heat or cold, physical or mental stress, lack of sleep
are all on my Kryptonite list. Wonder Woman’s bracelets reveal
her weakness by their original name, “bracelets of submission,”
which relates to the idea that her and her Amazon friends were
once oppressed in a man’s world before moving to Paradise
island. I won’t submit to anyone’s idea of what a person with a
disability should look like. MS continues to throw new plot twists
at me like with the medication I was on. I was taking a
medication for three years and it suddenly caused my liver to
start failing this past March. Then, I think this event triggered
my intermittent hand pain symptom to now be constant. The
doctors didn’t understand why I wasn’t satisfied when the tests
showed no evidence of my MS getting worse. Medical tests rarely
back up anything I’m feeling, so I don’t really take them very serious.
Wonder Woman doesn’t listen to those around her saying
everything is safe. No, she knows there are still bad guys working
on their next plan to finish her, like my pain is trying to finish me. I’m
sure there are so many more comparisons I could make with people
like me with MS and superheroes. But, one I often think about is how
our illnesses force others to be real with us.
Extreme heat or cold, physical or mental stress, lack of sleep
are all on my Kryptonite list. Wonder Woman’s bracelets reveal
her weakness by their original name, “bracelets of submission,”
which relates to the idea that her and her Amazon friends were
once oppressed in a man’s world before moving to Paradise
island. I won’t submit to anyone’s idea of what a person with a
disability should look like. MS continues to throw new plot twists
at me like with the medication I was on. I was taking a
medication for three years and it suddenly caused my liver to
start failing this past March. Then, I think this event triggered
my intermittent hand pain symptom to now be constant. The
doctors didn’t understand why I wasn’t satisfied when the tests
showed no evidence of my MS getting worse. Medical tests rarely
back up anything I’m feeling, so I don’t really take them very serious.
Wonder Woman doesn’t listen to those around her saying
everything is safe. No, she knows there are still bad guys working
on their next plan to finish her, like my pain is trying to finish me. I’m
sure there are so many more comparisons I could make with people
like me with MS and superheroes. But, one I often think about is how
our illnesses force others to be real with us.
Like many others, I feel it when people make gestures to avoid me to
save themselves from awkwardness. They are polite in public, but avoid
getting too close maybe because my awkwardness makes them think of
their own weaknesses or something.
It’s like Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth. We are looking to see how
people are going to behave around us, forcing them to show their true
character.
save themselves from awkwardness. They are polite in public, but avoid
getting too close maybe because my awkwardness makes them think of
their own weaknesses or something.
It’s like Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth. We are looking to see how
people are going to behave around us, forcing them to show their true
character.
Are you going to let me blend in like Diana and fit in to the crowd? Or
are you gonna make us bring out our superpowers to fight for our
needs? In that case, I will be like Wonder Woman because I will make
you wonder about me and my superpower, as I live a happy life with my
invisible jet and boomerang tiara, without you on my Paradise Island
– which you’ve been banished from.
are you gonna make us bring out our superpowers to fight for our
needs? In that case, I will be like Wonder Woman because I will make
you wonder about me and my superpower, as I live a happy life with my
invisible jet and boomerang tiara, without you on my Paradise Island
– which you’ve been banished from.
You’ve never seen me and Wonder Woman in the same room, have
you? I’m just saying…It could be true.
you? I’m just saying…It could be true.
Here are some older pieces of my writing:
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