From Where I Sit, From Where You Stand
A Roll Through Life
by
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Angels Of Mercy No false hopes. Or was it no hope at all? Tell me. From the “The Raven,” I quote: "Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! Prophet still, if bird or devil! Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!" Quote the Raven, "Nevermore." Surely, somewhere there is balm for my aching body and soul. Dreams Come True In San Diego, we had a Canadian neighbor who thought that the handicapped should not be married. "What we need," she said, "is a government sponsored complex where all crippled chaps could live." Keep the old west alive. Build a corral. Do a fall roundup of us doggies. Let Annie Oakley and Wild Bill Hickok lasso the strays. What next? The corral had no room for stallions on two legs. And no place for strolling mares! So LeVon could not join me. Now what to do with her! She would be a good catch for her son. LeVon is an excellent cook, a skilled seamstress, a neat housekeeper, an entertaining conversationalist, a compassionate nurse, and a good, moral person. She made friends easily. Our 'friend' had found her son the perfect mate! Her goal was to achieve somehow the union of the two. She cared less that the hen house already had a rooster. Did I need a hound to guard the chicken coop? No! After four years of waiting, we were notified that a Valentine present was awaiting our arrival in Montgomery. We gazed on the wonders of a two-and-one-half-month-old baby girl. No prettier valentine existed! Her foster mother called her Angel. It was an applicable description for the beautiful, adorable baby girl. LeVon, holding the little angel, remarked, "I am not sure she is right for us." I was looking at Angel, enchanted. I failed to notice the twinkle in LeVon's eyes and sighed, "What does it take to please you?" I looked up to see a radiant smile on LeVon's face. We had a daughter! The Golden Years “You are being punished for your sins.” Naughty boy! Take your punishment! What tasty, forbidden fruit did I partake that removed me from the world of the walking? God wouldn’t deprive me of a bite from a delectable apple? Maybe I bit into the seedy, juicy, acidic red pulp of a pomegranate. Bible scholars tell us that this was the most likely fruit in the Garden of Eden. Is the fruit allegorical? The disobeying of God by sinning is not allegorical. What demons do I now possess that keep me from returning to the paradise of the walking mortals? No Man is an Island The British writer, John Donne philosophized “No man is an island unto himself.” I am no different. I am a part of the world around me, the community that I live in. It takes a while for any newcomer to become a part of the community. The handicapped seem to require more time. Is it how the community perceives them? Alternatively, is it how the handicapped respond to others? It is a little of both. Familiarity, too, plays a role. Outside of the elder, many "never really knew anyone who was handicapped." To them, it is a new experience. It takes time to bridge the gap, to get past the polite "hello." It takes initiative on the part of the handicapped. “Hmm! From the looks of things, you have done well for yourself. You were hurt in an accident. Good settlement, I presume.” It was a question awaiting an answer. I complied. “Yes, we have done very well. I was hurt in an accident. I had no insurance. There was no settlement. I sued no one. What we have, I attribute to many things: good education, good job, reasonable health, opportunities, ambition, hard work, and frugality. And most importantly, a good wife and the Grace of God,” I replied. Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk "I am not handicapped!" the young man retorted. Whoops! He had hit his sensitive button. "Sorry, no offense intended,” He pointed out. After a few moments of silence, "Thank you!" the young man blurted out, turned, and wheeled quickly away. Was the young man looking for an escape route from the handicap? Was it denial? There is an old-folk saying “If a terrapin bites down on your finger, it will not turn loose until it thunders.” The young man can forget the thunder. He is caught for life. It is terra incognita, an unknown land that he must face. There is no escape! One must learn from it and to live within it. We all need to stop and take a reality checkfrom time to time. On the other hand, was he listening to a voice from within him? And not to the voices of those
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About the Book
As Marshall, with his wife and family, rolls through life, accompany him. Enjoy the witty and often whimsical episodes that occur. In work, play, travel, community, and worship, ponder the dialogues of opinions, perceptions, events, and realities of being physically challenged. The journey, which includes more than fifty years in a wheelchair, is presented in a topical display in chapters on different arenas of life:
The Paradox - Diversities of perceptions and realties.
The Good Old Days - Early life on a one-horse farm.
Fate Knocked at My Door - The accident.
Angels of Mercy - Hospitalization.
Letters of Cheer - Student nurses’ letters.
Give Me Elbow Grease - Rehabilitation
You Can Go Home Again - Summer at home.
The Halls of Ivy - Education.
Keeping the Faith – Job searching.
The Birds and the Bees – Love and passion.
Dreams Come True - Marriage and family.
Toiling in the Vineyards - Work experiences.
No Man is an Island - Community life.
On the Road - Travel.
God Bless You – God, others, and I.
Keeping the Juices Flowing - Adapting
Can’t See the Forest for the Trees – Perceptions.
Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk – Realities.
The Golden Years - The senior years.
The Journey has been one of challenges, physical, mental, and spiritual. It included two years of hospitalization and rehabilitation to prepare him to enter a world not yet ready for the physically challenged. He found himself looking inside with no way in. He boarded airplanes by hand-walking the support rails. He dealt with perceptions: “What can you do? You are handicapped!” His faith and hope were tested: Why me, God? Should I marry? Will any company hire me? Successes came: A lovely wife, two beautiful adopted babies, enjoyable work, friendships, health, and joy.
About the Author
Marshall Wall and his wife LeVon reside in Lexington, Kentucky. They have two children and three grandchildren. In the fall of 1953, he entered Berea College, Berea, Kentucky. In his third year, fate intervened. An automobile accident left him confined to a wheelchair. After two intensive years of hospitalization and rehabilitation, he resumed his education. While hospitalized, he met LeVon, a student nurse, who became his wife. With the aid of a vocational rehabilitation scholarship and a working wife, Marshall, completed his education at the University of Illinois, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree in Mathematics. Following graduation, he entered a world where resources and physical accessibility were limited for the handicapped. His first job was a mathematician/programmer for General Dynamics on the Atlas missile defense program. After three years, he joined Lockheed Missile and Space Division in Huntsville, Alabama to work on space exploration studies for NASA. Two years later, Marshall joined the IBM Apollo Project team, holding various technical and management positions. In Huntsville, LeVon and Marshall adopted two babies, Janis and Eric. When the Apollo program ended, he transferred to Lexington, Kentucky to do computer software development. Marshall is retired from IBM. Marshall is blessed. He has a loving family. He has been active in his church and community. He has had the opportunity to see much of the beauty of our nation, to share the company of diverse people, and to have interesting experiences. His journey of life is one of hope, challenges, and dreams coming true.