College Admissions Essays
My Temporary Disability
“Go!” I was ahead of the others after clearing the first hurdle when something distracted me. I lost my concentration and didn’t see the next hurdle. At the last second I attempted to jump over it. I was going too fast and hit the hurdle. My arms got caught beneath me when I landed.
I immediately knew something was wrong. I was seeing white, but pushed myself up and finished the race.
I was drifting in and out of consciousness on the way to the hospital. A nurse and some assistants put me on a stretcher, and carried me into the emergency room.
Hours later I emerged from the hospital with both arms in casts; my right, past my elbow; my left, past my wrist. I was able to perform the basic life functions, but the surgeon warned me not to use my left arm, because the bones could move.
For the first few days, I could still remember the pain, and didn’t move my left arm. Even though I knew better, my restraint fell to the convenience of having my left arm mobile, and I began to use it more and more.
I had to have my left arm re-broken and put into a full cast. I had to learn how to do everything over again, even eating and dressing. I learned what disabled people go through every day of their life. It was so frustrating that things that had been so easy had become so hard.
It is amazing how people with disabilities have enough strength to propel them through such daily torment.
I learned firsthand how much strength it takes to face these challenges. Anyone who experiences that will feel only compassion and comradeship for anyone in the same position. Perhaps if we recognized our own weaknesses, we could have something in common: the struggle to be a better person.
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