All people that are born without a disability are guilty of petulant behavior with regards to the daily issues of life. This modern digital society has become more materialistic, selfish and intolerant of the world around than any previous generation. It seems the more we have the less we really care fully about our fellow man. Knowing someone with a disability is a harsh reminder of what life is really about. Humanity if we can still use that term, can learn a lot from the struggles of disabled people.

Patience is something that modern man lost along the way to digital mastery. For a disabled person this is simply not an option. The huge resources of patience that is required on a day to day basis to carry out simple tasks should give us all pause for thought. Eating, washing and putting on clothes for any disabled person represents a monumental task. And yet they do not moan and cry or throw tantrums, they simply concentrate on the task at hand as there is no other choice. The next time we sit in traffic, let us not moan and cry like a five year old. Consider instead the privileged position that being born without a disability has granted us, and strive to show a little of the steely resolve of the not so able-bodied.

Dignity is a special quality that in general modern people have lost. Respect and ethics fall under this fabulous word, to be morally respectful of those around you and the world at large. And yet this seems somewhat distant to how man treats all that surrounds him. Racism, violence, animal cruelty and child brutality is far more prevalent in man than the noble act of being dignified. People born with severe disabilities show levels of dignity that we must all aspire to. Being helped out of bed, bathed, dried, and in some cases hand fed food is a blow to anyone’s ego. Being taken to the toilet and all this procedure incorporates is a truly humbling experience for the person in question. And yet with all the dignity of a king or queen they accept this lot that life has given them and make the very best of it. This is human dignity at its finest. We as people should the learn to give this same dignity to every living creature. Even the small task of just allowing something or someone to be as they are is a dignified way of existing. 

Happiness is at times unquantifiable, yet we all seek it. The next must have item is seen to bring even more happiness than the last best device. And yet with all the ipods, ipads, social networks and high definition televisions, unhappiness is still rife in society. Disabled people while possessing such trinkets understand the difference between possessions and having an internal joy that is more a state of mind than a gift voucher. Real conversations with people, a painless day and a joke shared are examples of this happiness. Life has given them less than others yet they revel in their existence for they realize that joy is a gift that is given to all regardless of ability or disability. The next time we cannot afford the latest device or foreign holiday we should consider how people with many more disadvantages than us, can and are happy. Getting back to being happy is stripping away possessions and ideals and finding the the things that makes us smile and laugh.

Of course everyone’s problems are relative. But in the grand scheme of things we should look to disabled people in the way they deal with life. They possess patience, dignity, happiness and a steely resolve despite being dealt a very bad hand. They deal with the good, the bad and the ugly in the same resourceful manner without ever losing the human spirit. Rather than being kept in a corner in an out of sight out of mind policy, disabled people should be the benchmark for humanity itself. They truly are the very best of us all.