Of Courage

Inspiration is found in the most unlikely sources.

I was on the subway at 59th street this morning waiting for the train to work, and there was a young man with a sign around his neck that stated his name, his age (20), and that he had lost his arms in an accident. He was asking for donations to help him get prosthetics. My initial reaction was an inward roll of the eyes and the thought " not another person lying to get money." A second later, I saw the arm stumps, noticed he looked healthy, was well-shaven, dressed decently, and was shaking a leg, likely from nerves, or embarrassment. The doubt that I had just experienced vanished instantly, and I noticed the pain in his eyes at being reduced to, let's face it, a beggar....

What I also began to notice were how many people were putting money in his backpack, which was wrapped around his neck. They were young, old, rushed and calm-a heartwarming indication that New Yorkers DO care about their neighbors, myself included, for at that moment I reached into my own wallet and tried to make his goal just slightly more attainable. Did they too have the same gut reaction that I had, that this man wasn't lying about using the money for what he said he would? Did they feel injustice at what he must be feeling and experiencing in those moments? I can only assume so.

However, I do feel strongly that this attractive young man is a victim of a country and city of huge economic disparities. He should be given money and aide from an insurance company, from the government, anywhere but on the platform of the A, C, B and D trains at Columbus Circle. Perhaps he has tried, and hopefully he is getting some help from these sources, but clearly, it is not sufficient.

Human nature enables us to get mired in our own problems. We worry about losing our jobs in this trying economy, not even pausing to appreciate that we have arms and fingers to log onto the internet and send out our resumes should that happen. We complain if our hours are cut, even though we are lucky to have jobs in the first place. People get angry about a $40 co-pay to a doctor, not realizing how much it would cost them if they didn't have insurance (anywhere from $150-300, actually) or how much their medication would cost, numbers that can send any American without coverage into enormous debt. And of course, we take our health and our arms, legs, hands and feet for granted, the concept of prosthetics a foreign idea, not even wishing to entertain that travesty.

For the most part, we aren't as grateful as we should be, nor do we appreciate how precious our daily abilities can be. Other lives are always better; your neighbor's apartment is bigger, your friend's kids go to a more elite school, you wish you made partner in your firm, you wish you hadn't. In sum: the grass is always greener. Except when it's not. Except when one has to muster up tremendous courage to convince absolute strangers that their help is crucial to his future well-being.

And yet, this courage itself is inspiring. Necessity breeds invention. This man put himself in a vulnerable position knowing that people may turn their noses at him, form biased opinions and not care. And yet, in the face of adversity, he did what he believed necessary to make a better life for himself, and that alone is admirable. I can't stop thinking about what must have been going through his head that morning and the anxiety he seemed to be experiencing. I, for one, don't plan on taking my physical capabilities for granted anymore.

If you see this man on the subway platform, give him a donation-help him to be able to lead a normal life. He'll thank you, and his courage will inspire you.