Ability

I guess what I am considering at the moment is one of the reasons I am an advocate for people with disabilities (it is right to me the word disability is shunned.  The emphasis is on abilities.)
There is a tendency in our society to worship youth.  More particularly fit, good-looking youth.  We see it in ads.  Especially for body care product.  Makes sense really.  Having an ad for good teeth using someone’s who’s teeth were all over the place would not be a good look.  What I do find interesting is in some ads, the problem is in black and white, and the solution is in full colour.
I see it on the sporting field.  Competitors are fit and big.  Wrecking balls if that is how they are built, and fleet of foot in other positions.  By 40 their day is over.  When Brisbane won the Olympics, Dawn Fraser said I start training tomorrow.  Everyone laughed.  Her day is over.
I had a guy build a shed for me.  Fairdinkum he was like a giant.  I had a group of people come to my place.  One guy was so young and good looking.  A girl told me as much.  He was.  Should be a law against it I reckon.
Though for me to say as much is really hypocritical.  It is human nature to admire beauty.  No matter if it is human form or a sunset or landscape or a well-built home.
There are many things that are beautiful to the eye.  Yet when it comes to humans it is a reality that most of us have flaws we would prefer we did not have.  It is one of the reasons why so many products do so well.  The desire to fix flaws.
I am a great believer in “if it can be fixed fix it.”  But when it comes to humans the reality is that without divine intervention some things cannot be fixed.  I am a case in point.  I liken myself to now only having four strings where once I had six.
As a result I ask myself “does that mean I should be thrown on the scrap heap?”  “Am I now of no use?”  “Are my days over and I am now just a waste of oxygen?”  My answer to that is a resounding no.
I do not pretend that in our society consideration is given to the disabled because of our affluence.  When push comes to shove the disabled will be seen as the unnecessary ones.  In a storm when a ship lightens its cargo what is considered valuable is disposed of last.  The first to go is what is considered can be done without.  It is the becoming “lean and mean” thing with the emphasis on mean.
But it is not that way now and there will always be people around who value what others consider not valuable.  So while I can I will.
I read about one person who was incredibly good a languages, but could not walk.  She was carried to where she had to go and did her thing.  Two people were able to do what they were into.   One liked to help physically wherever they could and the other gained an understanding of what was being conveyed which helped many people do the same.
My contention is that someone’s strength may not be in what is idolized but it can be in something incredibly useful.  It is not just during Covid we are all in this together.