THRILLS
If you see yourself as a fun loving thrill seeker and you are constantly on the lookout for your next adrenaline rush, then here is something you might try.
Skydiving is undoubtedly a breathtaking experience and requires a certain amount of nerve coupled with a degree of insanity. I can only imagine the thrill of seeing the earth speeding toward you after jumping from a perfectly good airplane. However, try going too fast down a hill...toward a busy street...in a wheelchair. That will also cause you catch your breath.
Maybe you fancy yourself as a dare-devil and can invision driving the Indy 500 at speeds in excess of 200 MPH. OK, this would be thrilling but they are all going the
same direction. Try driving a regular vehicle, at city speeds, in city traffic, with double vision and impaired reflexes. That will cause you believe in the power of prayer.
If you think of yourself as brave and bold and willingly face danger with an attitude, you could go white water rafting, or just cross a busy intersection where there is no light...strapped securely in a wheelchair...after dark. Or, if you really want to face something scary, remain in your wheelchair and try to convince a dog that it doesn’t really want to bite you. At this moment in time it doesn’t matter if the dog is a well-trained attack animal or little Billy’s pet Basset...you might learn a little something about incontinence.
Maybe you just want some excitement in your life but don’t feel the need to be thought of as brave and bold. You could try this to prevent boredom.
First tie your legs together at the knees, then using a walker cross a busy four-lane street in the short time allotted by the crossing light. Or you could stand in the isle of an overcrowded city bus or subway car holding onto only your walker for balance while the vehicle starts and stops. If you want even more excitement, ask the gentleman closest to the isle to give up his seat for you; be sure to take along a dictionary so you can look up the words you’re about to hear.
If you are only curious about such things and are totally secure with who you are, I applaud you. I also challenge you to try the really simple/safe things that an entire
population of people do every day. Try to get up the curb cuts in a wheelchair without tipping over backward, or attempt to get through the next closed door you see. There are
also the not very well hidden attitudes of some people to deal with on your fact-finding mission. Now you can question humanity.
People with disabilities don’t do these things because they are brave at heart or feel the need to prove anything...we have been given no other choice.
