Seems to me there are a lot of disabled people who are out and about being inspirational. I mean how inspiring is it for people to drag themselves up mountains and across continents, swim seas, and jump out of planes? OK, my personal opinion is that it may be fun while you are doing it but I'm not sure that anyone really gets inspired because of these sorts of things? I was reading an article about a woman with MS who is climbing Snowdon. Actually shes not, shes sitting-in-her-chair up Snowdon while her friends drag her up, the idea behind this is to inspire others. Lets hope her friends have good backs and knees because they will need them. I don't know what inspires you, and while there is certainly a WOW factor to all this sort of thing, I'm not ultimately inspired to go and do it myself or even try to do it. Maybe I don't care, perhaps I don't have the energy, did my get up and go, get up and go?! Actually no, I don't think so, I have things Id like to do , but maybe its more to do with the fact that I'm basically happy in my own shoes, I'm an OK sort of person I suppose and I don't feel I have to prove myself to the whole wide world, because I think I know who I am. The people I have always taken inspiration from are those around us in our daily lives. People who have made the very best from the worst, people who have given to the world, and people who really lead ordinary lives under extraordinary circumstances. So while climbing a mountain may be a personal achievement I don't see it as inspiring others, so no you wont be seeing me doing handstands and walking the length of South America anytime soon, that's far too inspirational for me!
That was interesting! I quite agree that it is hardly inspiring that some is dragged up a mountain in their wheelchair. Mind you I've been up Snowdon, but on the railway!
ReplyDeletePublicity for people with disabilities might benefit a little with such events as the press like that sort of story.
I find that I cause a bit of a stir anway, wherever I am. I shop with a large plastic box on my knee and there always seems to be spectators at bus stops watching as I load the shopping, the wheelchair am me into the car and drive off! For the general public, perhaps just doing normal things is inspiring enough!
Yesterday I went up Snowdon in a wheelchair. I had a team of people pulling, pushing and dragging me up there and it was brilliant. Yes, it was bloody hard work for them and not very comfortable for me, but we have raised over £5000 for the MS Society and we all came down feeling we had achieved something great.
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