No Longer Crippled: Growing Up with a Handicap

Dick was greatly crippled by polio and his parents' divorce. We hear his voice through the all his school years describing his life, its joys and fears, triumphs and failures. His observations are tainted by his changing attitudes. His story is a testimony of the resilience of the human spirit. Moments of encouragement counteract periods of lonely desperation. He captures both the tragedy and comedy that comprise childhood and growth. The title, "No Longer Crippled", may require clarification. There has been no miraculous restoration of the shriveled muscles of my left leg. What changed was the realization that it was not my physical limitations that crippled me, but my mental view of myself as the victim of a world that was unfairly against me. After I finally discovered that most people are friendly or at least neutral, I was able to channel my efforts into positive, helpful tasks. Since then I have received more good experiences and happiness than I deserve.