Meet Maysoon Zayid, the woman who shakes on stage while people laugh their guts out

Have you helped someone get a seat in metro in the 'differently abled' seat? Have you felt pity for them?

You might have watched such characters in Hollywood and Bollywood movies and thought, 'poor girl/ guy. Life could have been so much better if she/he was normal.'

Think again. Differently abled is abled, in a different manner. And there is someone who will not just tell you that, but make you believe it and clap for her, laugh and cry with her. She is the first comic to have performed in Jordan and conflict-ridden Palestine.

Meet Maysoon Zayid. 42. An Arab woman in America, making you laugh hysterically because she is  Shakira and Muhammad Ali rolled in one.

Maysoon giving her Ted talk

"Let me tell you, I am not inspirational and I don't want anyone to feel bad for me."

Bad? You don't feel bad for her. You want to go "you go girl" for her. She is inspirational because she does not want to be an inspiration. She lives her life just like wants to- by being an actress and a standup comic. How many of us can say that we are living the lives we want to?

"At some point in your life, you have all dreamt of being disabled."

 

#DC I'm coming your way #Thursday! 10/12 #togetherlive2017 https://m.ticketmaster.com/together-live-warner-theatre-washington-dc/venueartist/172129/2387512

A post shared by Maysoon Zayid (@maysoonzayid) on Oct 10, 2017 at 9:30am PDT

 

 Probably, after watching her, you will understand what disability is. Yea, palsy is just a problem.

• Palestinian
• Muslim
• Brown
• Disabled
• Woman

And yes in New Jersey, in Trump's America.

She ticks all the boxes in 'disadvantaged' that you can think of. But she is the most able person you can think of for her self confidence is so much stronger than any hatred or trolling directed at any of her identity.

"My inner stripper was very strong"

 

#halloweencostume #Halloween #throwbackthursday a day late

A post shared by Maysoon Zayid (@maysoonzayid) on Oct 20, 2017 at 7:53am PDT

 

She is not just funny and witty, but also extremely politically aware. She tells you things you think are 'boring' or maybe a 'lecture'. She makes you laugh through them. She tells you how Hollywood is for white, able bodied and perfect bodied men and women. But even then, she got a role in the movie, You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008).

She will make you aware of your own prejudices, behavior and attitude towards people with disabilities. She will make you question the term 'disability'. And what's more, she will make you laugh all this while. You will not feel pity for her, because she 'can can'. And because she can, she will make you laugh and ponder over your life. She will make you want to do the impossible because she just re-defined what is impossible for a person with cerebral palsy.

Maysoon in a still from the Hollywood movie 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan'

It is her zest for life that makes you cry and laugh. She made me want to cry in a public in the metro, when I thought balancing job, gym and travel was tough. She balances a long list. If she doesn't wanna make you laugh and cry and be inspired, I will change my name legally. Period.

Maysoon performing on stage. Source Pinterest

Watch your pity turn into laughter and admiration and claps :