Stickability and Strength: A Review of Matt Stabb’s 'Keep on Keeping On

 Dear Diary,

It’s Wednesday, and I am finally sharing my thoughts on Matt Stabb’s biography. Reading his book is like sitting down for a coffee and a chat; it’s ad-hoc and honest, just like life.

What struck me most were our "Mirror Moments." We were born in the same decade, both living with Cerebral Palsy, yet our paths were so different. In 1983, while Matt was navigating special schools and colleges, I was part of that first batch of children integrated into mainstream education. While he was being told to sit in the guards' van on trains, I was sitting in the carriage.

It makes you realise that the "disabled community" isn't one single story.

Matt talks a lot about "Stickability." He had to fight for his own bungalow, manage his own care, and prove to everyone—including the Duke of Edinburgh assessors—that he could do it. That "stickability" is exactly what I’m focusing on for Book 5. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about having the grit to "Keep on Keeping On," even when the world wants to put you in a guard van.

❤