Great post -- truly great!! For 16 years I worked at America's leading long term disability company -- they were very much 'into' hiring the disabled and what an absolute inspriation to the rest of us it was. I became dear friends with someone who was a quadroplegic as a result of a wrestling accident on his graduation night......he moved around by blowing in a tube in his wheelchair to steer him, he was fed by his wife, he spoke intermittantly as the machine that kept him breathing would only let him speak at a certain cadence. He was charming, delightful, interesting and so intelligent -- in fact, he was a real person. He passed from complications of brain cancer (anyone still believe there is a God out there that could deal such a man such a crappy hand) but he was upbeat to the end....and he 'tolerated' (I think he liked) endless kids asking him about his wheelchair and saying how really cool it was that he moved around by blowing in a tube .... my son was one of those kids when he came to dinner............