I wrestle daily with identities slapped onto me with little care or thought. People refusing to see beyond my exterior, certain my essence can be boiled down to a single identity. And I struggle with waning identities, slipping from my grasp. In equal parts, I shed these identities and rail against their disappearance. And where… Continue reading Youth and beauty are not accomplishments
Author: Imperfection
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter is a mom and writer from Omaha, Nebraska but recently relocated to Urbandale, IA. When she’s not chasing children, picking up messes or reorganizing the house, she enjoys yoga or reading to relax. In her spare time (A.K.A. her dreams) she’s a Broadway star.
Kuenning-Pollpeter is a freelance marketer during the day, a creative writer at night. Her work has appeared in the Brevity blog, The Omaha World Herald, 13th Floor, Misbehaving Nebraskans, Hippocampus, Emerging Nebraska Writers and Random Sample Review. She has her BFA and MFA in writing from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Her essay “The Body” was a McKenna Fellowship finalist, and her essay “Imperfection” was a 2020 Best of the Net Nominee.
She is blind and writes frequently about disability. She’s working on a memoir about the disabled feminine experience. With the kids though, expect it in stores in about a decade.
A lyric response to time travel #bloganuary
I stare into the mirror. But really, I’m staring into the dark, swirling TV fuzz that is now my vision. I feel weighed down by this body, by life, by time. Twenty years veered into the future. My present a daily reminder of each path whizzed by. Disabled, wife, writer, mother- nothing bad, but a very different present than what… Continue reading A lyric response to time travel #bloganuary
Motherhood
My eyes snap open. My nine-year-old starts his day asking Alexa how to build Lego structures. “MOM, I NEED TO EAT.” My four-year-old shouts. My head sinks into my pillow. I sigh, a deep billow released. The day trudges on like the one before and the one before and the one before. I’m a statue at the kitchen sink, water streaming out the faucet. Sun… Continue reading Motherhood
Hey, Jamie Lynn, get over yourself: Who tells disability experiences?
I’m. So. Sick. Of non-disabled people centering their experiences around disability. And this isn’t unique to me. All disabled people are tired of hearing how disability impacts non-disabled people. Ug! Recently, Jamie Lynn Spears, sister to Britney Spears, said in an interview that she doesn’t understand why she and her sister have grown apart. In her new… Continue reading Hey, Jamie Lynn, get over yourself: Who tells disability experiences?
Dear non-disabled people, your New Year’s resolutions
Dear non-disabled people, 2022 is upon us, and it’s time for arbitrary resolutions. We all know no one ever keeps New Year’s resolutions, so, here are some more for you also not to keep. Non-disabled people, you haven’t kept these up ‘til now; please don’t fail my expectations this year. A list of New Year’s resolutions curated just for you, non-disabled people. All… Continue reading Dear non-disabled people, your New Year’s resolutions
A short rant on ableism
This is a rant; a righteous rant. If you don’t like it, tough. I’m tired of being silenced, stuffed into a box. I’m tired of trying to live my life constantly surrounded by your ableism. For two weeks now I’ve felt bookended by ableism. Comments and attitudes directed towards me, mostly by people supposed to… Continue reading A short rant on ableism
Task master A.K.A the bitch
I hold my phone to my ear. It rings and rings before my husband picks up. “Hey, what’s up?” he asks. “Did you ask your driver about driving us Sunday?” “No, not yet, forgot.” I scrunch up my face and hold my breath. “You’ve been with him all day.” “I know, I just forgot.” “Mmmhmm, mmhmm, but… Continue reading Task master A.K.A the bitch
Stripped
I wake this morning, head fuzzy from sleep. Rolling out of bed, I trudge towards the kitchen. Before getting the kids up and going, I glance at my phone. Notification after notification clenches my stomach until it’s a tight ball. I can’t read any of these articles. I swipe to clear and slam my phone down.… Continue reading Stripped
Punished for being disabled
You make the decision to have children, and from that point, your children consume you. You want to give them every opportunity. You want them to succeed. You ultimately want them to be happy and healthy. But when you’re a disabled parent, you’re often punished for daring to be disabled. My husband and I both have a… Continue reading Punished for being disabled
Woman is a dirty word
My nine-year-old is obsessed with Titanic. Really, all shipwrecks, but it all started with the Titanic. A single documentary I put on for the boys two years ago simply to occupy them, and here we are, inundated with books and documentaries and toys about shipwrecks. My husband and I discussed letting him watch the 1997… Continue reading Woman is a dirty word
Imperfection 