You know the feeling - you wake up and from then on everything that could go wrong with your day does: your train is late and overcrowded, your manager is unreasonable, your date with the lovely blond from the advertising company across the road is cancelled, then your credit card is refused at McDonalds. By the time you crawl home you are tired, frustrated and think that life couldn't get any worse. You almost feel like you want to die.
Well, think again chummy, and read about Stephen Hawking, his life and amazing achievements; if you don't already know who he is, find a photograph or two, or even a video of him. See and try to understand how a man virtually condemned to death at the age of 21 (given two years to live) through a degenerative illness lived a productive and amazing life and died a national (and international) treasure and inspiration despite his wasted body at the age of 76, despite the myriads of problems he encountered.
I am not for one moment suggesting that we could all emulate him, as we probably all (most?) lack not only his brain and power of thought but his incredible determination as well. What we can do, though, is to take courage and inspiration from the life of a man who appeared to have it all (well, almost, he was never exactly good-looking even before his illness...) only to have it snatched away from him by the cruel hand of fate at a very early age. He appeared to deal with his disabilities as an inconvenience and concentrated on what he could do rather than on the things that were now denied to him.
In today's culture, obsessed as it is with the body and its beauty almost above anything, Hawking was a complete anomaly and, had he not achieved what he had, would probably have been ignored as just another handicapped person in a wheelchair who cannot talk normally but only through a device. Some of us might have pitied him, some written him off, others just ignored him. Yet today, only a few days after his death he is providing inspiration to millions across the world with his indomitable spirit.
This piece is not to tell you of my admiration for Hawking over the years, nor of my detailed knowledge of his writings and scientific discoveries; for years I ignored him out of blindness and stupidity, not understanding the greatness of his achievement in surviving and thriving. Hawking's life and legacy is the triumph of mind over matter, of thought over body activity, of humanity over senselessness, and in his triumph I now find inspiration, perhaps due to the fact I now am in need of inspiration! And may I put on the record the fact that I have never bought or attempted to read his famous bestseller 'A Brief History of Time', much purchased but rarely finished masterpiece of scientific thought according to those in the know - more fool me.
So chummy (a.k.a. my dear reader), you too can be inspired by the man, even if like me you lack the equipment to operate at his level of thought or, even, courage. Remember that most difficulties and setbacks that you face will be as nothing compared to what Stephen Hawking had to face, that courage comes from within and that you do not need to be bodily strong to be brave, that beauty can equally be found in thought and expression as in a beautiful body.
As I said earlier it may not be easy, or even possible, for all of us to show the qualities of a Stephen Hawking, but he inspires me to try in situations where previously I may have been quick to give up, and for that I thank this extraordinary human being from the bottom of my heart, ooops, I mean mind!
The heroes in my life are few, my complete admiration limited, but seeing the video of Stephen Hawking flying about at zero gravity with a big smile and twinkly eyes, clearly loving every second, inspired me beyond belief; a new hero has joined my Pantheon and may he rest in peace.
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