Most people who have seen or heard of somebody with a disability usually views that disability as a disadvantage in life. Although it is usually seen as a disadvantage by those who don’t have a disability, I see it as no different than playing a videogame on the highest difficulty. I see it this way, because just like a videogame set on the highest difficulty, it requires a lot more effort, knowledge, and has a lot more restrictions than “normal” gameplay. A lot of people say, “Oh man, must not be easy to live with that,” and they are right, it isn’t easy. What makes it easy is the continual advancement of my knowledge base. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: knowledge is power, as the old saying goes, “Work smart, not hard.”
Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, having everything handed to them in life. Some may call this, an “ideal life,” although is it really that satisfying knowing that everything you have was given to you without any effort? Just like the videogame on the hardest difficulty, sometimes it is more satisfying to accomplish something with more effort, and more ambition. It doesn’t take a lot of courage and knowledge to be handed everything you want, although it does take a lot of courage and knowledge to work for everything you want. This is especially true in the case of somebody like myself, growing up with a physical disability in a family that was not very wealthy, having to work extra hard to achieve everything I wanted.
The first line of Jack Horner’s essay, The Extraordinary Characteristics of Dyslexia, states that, “Each of us can narrate an early experience of failure in schools. Because of it, most of us have known some form of peer persecution (Horner; 493).” Most people can narrate an early failure in school, with varying reasons. Horner’s reason for failure was his dyslexia, although as he states in his essay, “Personally, I think dyslexia and consequences of dyslexia – learning to deal with failure – explains my own success.” I find this quote very valid when it comes to my own life, because with my disability, I find myself dealing with failure at a lot of different things, although I’ve learned to overcome those obstacles and use failure as a method of learning. I feel as though if I wasn’t born with my condition, I would not be where I am today, I almost feel as though I would have had no interest in College or furthering my education past High School.
To put it briefly, I explained how Horner and I both share a common factor in life, we were both born with a disability that we now live with and struggle with everyday. Although we both share this similar factor, we also share the success that we have both achieved so far in our lives. With Horner overcoming his disability and receiving numerous awards, and me making an attempt to overcome my disability, having received awards and many honors for my academic success, such as the Harry C. Dickins award, principals list on many occasions, and other class and school related honors . The one distinctive similarity between Horner and I, is that we both see the advantages in out disabilities, rather than the disabilities. We both realize that we may do things differently, although it is usually with the same result, if not better.
“John Hockenberry : biography.” John Hockenberry biography, Works, Personal life, Biography,
www.fampeople.com/cat-john-hockenberry.
Horner, Jack. “The Extraordinary Characteristics of Dyslexia.” 2008. Back to the Lake. Ed.
Thomas Cooley. 3rd ed. New York: Norton, 2015. 493-95. Print.
“About Stephen.” Stephen Hawking, www.hawking.org.uk/about-stephen.html.