Cripple

One of our readings was written by Nancy Mairs and her story titled On Being A Cripple. This story of Nancy definitely caught me off guard. I understood her point of how she decided she would call herself a cripple thus giving this sort of power to her. It was interesting how she described "Cripple" to be a clean word that was straightforward and precise. I guess I do not naturally think of that word to be a clean word; instead I would imagine "handicapped" to be more of a clean word. Either way Mairs was correct by saying it's straightforward. 

I picture this labeling of her as a cripple is not just giving her power but more so giving power to other people. Yes, it gives her power by her telling people she is a cripple and it's almost as if she just admits it and says, so what? I think that is great but I also think that she is putting a label on herself and therefore allowing people to put limits on her. I agree with Mairs when she says, "whatever you call me, I remain crippled." The name cripple or handicapped or even disabled means the same thing- she is not physically capable of some of the things that others are. But to me putting that name on herself as "cripple", it's almost like she is saying that is her identity; that is who she is. That is where I think people begin to limit handicapped, crippled, or disabled people. 

I once did work crew for a week with special needs kids at a Young Life camp. It was a very eye-opening week for me. I really would say that week changed my view of the word "handicapped". At this camp kids who have lived in a wheel chair were able to go tubing behind a boat, kids whose arms were so weak and barely able to move played ping pong. Nothing magical happened, God did not all of the sudden heal their disease; what happened was ordinary people gave them hope and did not limit them. Ordinary people were willing to step out of their comfort zone, put all labels aside, and help them hold a racket. To me, it was almost as if their disease was being healed because I have had this idea of what being a cripple means. I had this idea that they could never do anything of those active events. I cannot explain how much I grew by the end of that week. 

That is why when I read this article it took me back because it seemed as though she was in a way allowing people to limit her by openly calling herself a cripple. I do not think Mairs' intentions were for me to get that idea out of this reading, because I do see her point about how it liberated herself to say "I am a cripple".