Crippled

You’re more crippled than I am, son.  No sir, I’m not crippled at all.”

I heard that very conversation last week while talking to my friend Chris at Reliant.  Chris is in a wheelchair.  An elderly man with two canes shuffled up to the door, and Chris opened the door for him.  That’s when he made the comment about Chris being crippled and without missing a beat, Chris smiled and said, “No sir, I’m not crippled at all.”  Yes, Chris is in a wheelchair, but that does not mean he is crippled. 

As I experienced the event first hand, I could see the elderly man was attempting to make conversation rather than take a shot at Chris.  The bigger thing I noticed was that the older man believed himself to be crippled because he walked with canes just like he believed Chris to be crippled because he is in a chair.  Chris is in a chair but the chair does not define Chris.  Crippled!  I think not.  Remember, words only have the power we give to them.