From The Storyteller
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Grit
Google defines a person as having “grit” when they have a combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals, with a steadfast dedication to achieving a singularly important objective, even in the face of setbacks, failures, and slow progress. And I saw such a person the other day while sitting in the Post Office parking lot waiting for Elaine. Two blocks away a wheelchair-bound, young woman caught my attention. I watched her slowly pull herself those two blocks over the next 10 minutes, using only her arms. When she finally pulled past me on the other side of the street, I was able to witness the huge effort necessary for her to move her wheelchair every single foot. I had just watched her do this for three full blocks and she still kept going. By then Elaine had finished her business, and together we continued to watch her roll on. Waiting until she had rolled out of sight, I pulled out of the parking lot, and instead of heading home I went in the direction she had gone (I am a people watcher junky). A total of five blocks later we found her rolling into a grocery store parking lot. Turning to Elaine I said, “That is one tough lady”. She had pulled herself in a wheelchair over eight blocks of typical city sidewalks. A distance I could stroll in five minutes without breaking a sweat, required her to put in a good 30–40 minute workout - just so she could begin grocery shopping. This woman demonstrated a kind of mental toughness rarely seen, and it both inspired me and made me smile. Moral: Recognizing the strength (grit) found in other human beings causes me to continue to have faith in the human race in these uncertain times. |