Ungrateful Humans
When I saw the title of Nancy Mair's essay,, I was immediately drawn to it. "On Being A Cripple" is a truly empowering essay about Mair's struggle with multiple sclerosis. She deals with her "left leg now being weak" the "right side of my body is weakening", and she uses an "electric wheelchair". Reading this essay makes you realize that she is an amazing woman, with amazing strength and power. She loves herself and realizes that she is who she is, despite the "degenerative disease".
What I found most empowering throughout the entire essay was when she says, "What I hate is not me but a disease. I am not a disease." She realizes and wants her audience to also realize that, yes, she does have a disease that will eventually prove to be fatal. But she will not let it beat her, and the disease should not constitute who she is. She is Nancy Mair. Thats all she wants people to know. She does not want to be characterized by this disease.
When I finished reading this essay, it surprisingly made me very emotional. I sat at my desk and shed a couple of tears, because people do not realize the blessings and gifts that they have been so graciously been given. Human beings take advantage of the gifts they have been given every day. We complain when we do not get to eat a meal on time, when we don't get that car we wanted for our sixteenth birthday, or that iPod we so desperately wanted for Christmas. We complain about all of this, when Nancy Mair is sitting in her wheelchair, dying of multiple sclerosis, and simply happy to be alive. I personally think that we are an ungrateful people. Maybe we should put ourselves in Mair's shoes for a day. Maybe then we would understand and be grateful for what we have.
5 comments:
I have to agree with you. People do take so many things for granted and don't even realize that there are people in this world that have so much less than we do.
I agree with you. It applies to all we can beungrateful for alot things. The problem is we have grown accustomed to the fact of having our way!!
I agree with you all. In todays world were are selfish beings and we take so much for granted. I know with me I get frustrated at little things easily and tend to pout. I really loved how Nancy Mair didn't pout and didn't want anyone to feel sorry for her. She is a very powerful woman.
I agree with you as well. There are a lot of people who are in worse situations than we are, whether it be pysically or finanically.
I know I have to check myself sometimes, and look around at other's situations. I am turly blessed, we all are.
I have to sometimes remind myself to be thankful and greatful, because someone has it worse off than you.
Yes, Yes, Yes. I totally agree, unfortunatly, I didn't see this post until after I put my post on here. Basically, our culture is spoiling us and teaching us to always want more. However, we need to be thankful for what we have and be appreciative.
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