The Eighteen Percent
18% of Americans deal with one or more disabilities. Understanding is the key to their freedom. So, I offer this story as a reminder.
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On an overcast day, Monty, a mockingbird with only one leg hopped through the branches, his wings fluttering gently as he perched on a slender limb. The other leg was lost in an unknown accident, but Monty never seemed to mind.
He was a creature of joy, filling the air with his playful songs. Monty’s calls were not perfect; sometimes he faltered when hopping between branches or when the wind grew too strong. But the melodies he created were more beautiful for the struggle, a testament to Monty’s resilience.
One morning, a curious child approached Monty. She watched as he sang, hopping from branch to branch with an awkward, graceful rhythm. “You’re missing a leg,” she whispered, unsure whether Monty could understand.
But Monty just chirped and tilted his head. He didn’t need two legs to be whole, nor wings to be free. He sang because he was alive, because the world was still filled with color and song. The child smiled, touched by his quiet strength, and sat down beneath the tree.
Monty’s song echoed softly, a reminder that even in imperfection, there was beauty, and even in loss, there could still be joy.
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As I sat and watched Monty in the backyard another mockingbird swooped in and started chasing him around. With wings flapping and constant motion Monty kept bouncing from perch to perch. This went on for a few minutes then the other bird finally left. Did the other mockingbird see that Monty was missing one leg? No, I don’t think so. Being territorial, it just saw another bird and wanted to chase it out of the yard. Simply put – it didn’t understand. And, so it is with humans, too.
