When I first lost my leg in 1976, prosthetics were still in the dark ages. The formula for prosthetics hadn't really changed since WWII. You got what you got , and you did the best you could with it. So, I hobbled my way through high school, blistered my way through college ,New York, Los Angeles, Cambridge, Edinburgh. In 1991 I got a new prosthesis and a whole new level of mobility. I moved to Paris for the year, then spent a summer at the UN in Geneva. The prosthesis, while still causing me blisters, pain, and a lot of days having stay at home because I just couldn't walk, was still an improvement.
Fast forward 2015 and we see dramatic advances that have changed the way amputees can live life There are amputee triathletes, Iron Man competitors, martial artists, mountain climbers, amputee soccer leagues. Through a series of events not just in the prosthetic world but also in the perception of disability , amputees are achieving above and beyond what was possible not that long ago.
There are ads on television featuring amputees, TED talks with amputee presenters, magazine articles, autobiography book deals, all geared toward we, the amazing, inspiring , overcoming amputees.
Which is starting to make me uncomfortable.
True to American form, we go BIG fast. Major family issues get resolved on television in 22 minutes. Coaching programs offer people complete solutions to their problems by just following their 3 'secret' steps. And amputees who lived in relative obscurity are suddenly the new heroes.
Zero to 100 in one second. That's how we Americans roll.
I am starting to notice that what I thought was a great personal achievement-that of staying alive- just isn't that valued .Now, in order to "Be Amazing" apparently I need to climb Mount Everest (which is so 90's) , run a triathlon AND get signed to Simon and Schuster. And then what?
What woman hasn't thumbed through a woman's magazine and thought, just for a moment, "Geez .I haven't run a family, a company and been a size 2- what's wrong with me?"
What man hasn't felt, just for a moment, that all his hard work and personal integrity wasn't enough? He could be doing more.
I believe there is a significant part of the process missing in all this celebrity amputee status. Americans don't want to hear about that! It's called 1-99. That's the AMAZING part , the part no one sees. The tears, the frustration, the fears, the pain, the vulnerability, the body image challenges, you know, the "not so pretty" bits.
If you are an amputee who is just getting back to life, or if you are a seasoned amputee who has weathered a lot to get where you are, you are AMAZING just by choosing to take that first step.
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