So You Want My Handicapped Parking Place? (Paperback)

So You Want My Handicapped Parking Place chronicles the complicated, and often humorous experiences of one man's journey through life in a wheelchair. Having contracted polio as a baby and being the last of a pastor's six children, Mario Ferrante struggled to carve out his identity as a young man and grow up to enter the professional world, start a family, and pursue the American dream like everyone else. Despite society's continual questioning and the seemingly insurmountable challenges thrown at him, Ferrante takes the world head-on persevering to earn two master's degrees, one in Business Administration and another in vocal performance. He has gone on to enjoy much success: becoming a CEO, working as a director of a Fortune Five Hundred company, traveling to Europe and the Caribbean, serving his community as a music pastor, all in addition to being happily married for almost thirty years and raising two kids. Ferrante's stories, organized by chapters with titles like "Curiosity," "Mishaps," "Vegetables," and "Naysayers," demonstrate a unique perspective to the physical and social challenges of people living with disabilities. His tenacious pursuit of a "normal" life will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately offers inspiration for how to overcome all kinds of obstacles.