This Guy Inspires Me
The picture is of a Lancaster man. The man you see has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). He has what is called
primary-progressive MS. That’s a fancy name that means it is a steady worsening of symptoms and disability as it progresses. I could give his name, but I don’t know if he would want me to do that.
So, on a Friday, a group of people is at the fairgrounds setting up for the MS Walk the following day. Now, this guy is helping set up tables. He grabbed a table at a time, moved himself and the table by wheelchair, set the table down, pulled out the legs, and returned to get another table. I don’t know this for sure, but I’m certain he positioned more tables than anyone else and, if not, certainly moved tables to the furthest distance.
Me, I was sitting on a stage. I was there because I had then relapsing-remitting MS. Today, it has progressed to what is called secondary-progressive. The doctor misled me, and the change in name was only because I was using a cane. Really, it means I’ll experience a gradual, steady change in my ability to perform daily tasks.
He came over, and we talked. I believe I noticed that his wheelchair was powered only by him. He chatted, showed me some pictures on his cell phone, introduced me to his granddaughter, and told me about his wife. I guess they had just taken a trip to Florida. Oh yeah, one of the pictures he showed me was a souped wheelchair he made that could power itself in the woods and go up steps.
When I speak of MS, I often steal a line from the movie Heartbreak Ridge. Well, I changed it; you must adjust, adapt, and overcome when you have it. Something better comes from a Rocky movie. Rocky is talking to his son, and I have to shorten this some, but the advice Rocky gives his son is as follows:
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!… But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that…”
So this guy has been knocked around by life, but he keeps coming back. There’s no quit in him. Some, maybe many, would give up. I see so many give up when facing almost nothing. But for him, the obstacles are there. He gets hit, takes it, and keeps moving forward. As Rocky said, “That’s how winning is done!”