Eleisha's Story
I would like to talk with you for a moment about possibility and worth, and how they correlate with each other. If something is deemed worth a lot then its possibility is most likely higher then if its worth is deemed less. The possibilities began to fade as worth becomes lesser and lesser. I would like to demonstrate this for you with this dollar bill.
Who would want this bill if I crumple it? What if I stomp all over it with my dirty shoes, now imagine if I spit on it, I drag it through the mud, even worse through animal feces, How many of you out there could honestly say you would pick up this dollar bill after all that? I honestly can not say that I would. Has its worth changed? The societal value is still one dollar but who sees that since it has been through so much and has so much cover up? The possibility for this dollar has been pretty much elevated because its worth is no longer recognized by society. It still has the ability to pay for needs and to build interest in a bank however without help from someone who is willing to look beyond the dirt and cover up it will never make it.
My story is similar to this dollar I had so much dirt on my outer walls, I felt there was no possibility for me to grow. I deemed myself worthless as did the majority of society. I was the dollar bill lying at the side of the road in the mud covered in animal feces. As I continuously tried to build my own worth and possibility for the future I was kicked and spit upon by the painful stigma that surrounded living with a mental illness.
Just as I was ready to lay there in the mud and be washed away in the rain, I found something new. A place where the stigma dissipated into the walls of ability and strength, this place helped me realize my worth.
The place I speak of is one of the many Clubhouse International Accredited Clubhouses. It is with the support of the many members and staff of the Clubhouse that I was able to feel my worthiness in this life and develop the many possibilities that I now seek.
My life has changed drastically since joining the Clubhouse, possibilities have opened up which I participate in, on a day to day basis they are acting as co-chair on the Utah Clubhouse Network, Having the honor of being Secretary of the Alliance House Board of Directors, Participating on many board committees, Participating in the Work-Ordered Day, Speaking on behalf of Clubhouse at many conferences, going to school to become a social worker and being a respected member whom many come to for advice.
I truly could have never seen my life where it is at now 3 years ago, I am at a point where I have achieved a dream of giving back to others. This is a possibility I never thought I could have; I never thought I was worthy to be seen as an equal. However; here I stand before you an equal with as much worth and potential as you. I give you all great honor and respect for being here today because it is you and Clubhouse International that pulls people like me out of the mud supports us in finding our worth and potential in this life.
Although we all have to go through life’s turmoil’s there is no need for people to suffer in silence, alone, or to be tossed in the mud ridiculed by stigma. People like myself, Miles, and Nicholas’s son as well as the millions world wide who are in our hearts today. Solely because they have a mental illness, this is a battle that can be won with support, understanding, and empowerment all of which Clubhouses provide for its members on a day to day basis. Words can not describe how I feel at this very moment, the gratitude I have to my Clubhouse in Salt Lake city, Utah for saving my life, and to Clubhouse International for making it possible. I am Eleisha Marie Hewes, I have a mental illness, I am a member of a Clubhouse, I will succeed.