It’s hard to type in a bed with one’s arms up in the air; but I had to comment on this great article by Leonard Kriegel. This man suffered almost all his life from polio which crippled him at the age of eleven. He is now eighty six. Read his words:
Manhood meant toughness and endurance—virtues that pushed me through physical workouts that were long, strenuous, and at times excruciating. No matter what those workouts demanded of me, no matter how much pain and exhaustion they caused, they promised that, if I kept at it, I would forge an independent self. I would be a man, however crippled. And the self I achieved would belong to me alone. My toughness would make me whole.
The pain he endured was in his spirit even more than his bones. But, rather than feeling sorry for himself, he built up his arms and shoulders to be his legs. Seventy five years and still fighting.
Here I am at the age of sixty seven unable to get out of bed due to arthritis in both hips. At times the pain is very severe. My shoulders ache as I write from a keyboard over my head and search for the “k” key. For me, right now, these pains and these humiliations endured patiently and for the love of God are making me a man.
The full article is here.
