2007-02-18
accidental superheroes
I like to think that people who have gone through horrible, traumatic, disfiguring events are better than the rest of us.
You've been horribly scarred in a housefire? You must dine with the Dalai Lama on a regular basis. Lost a limb in a car crash? How was croquet with Jesus?
I'm not sure where I got this idea. I suppose that I assume that after such an event, the individual in question has it all figured out. She doesn't care about the Versace spring collection, who is dying on Grey's Anatomy, or whether the bottled water is French or Italian. She doesn't care if you have spinach in your teeth or obvious panty lines. The person just loves life and finds beauty in everything. It's all peace and good times.
I'm thinking this misconception has something to do with Hollywood.
Think of Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump. Sure, he was a little down about that whole Vietnam-lost-two-legs thing, but he pulled himself out of it. He got smart, he cleaned himself up. He found love - with an Asian woman, at that, which you must admit supports my theory of wisdom-from-tragedy.
But we're all people, aren't we? We're just a pathetic bunch of shallow, selfish, competitive, money-hungry assholes. So whether you've got two legs, one leg or maybe no legs at all, chances are you're equally as likely to insult my gender or ethnicity when I cut you off on the freeway. Or to, say, swear at me when I don�t toss any money into your cup when I pass you on State Street.
Still, I can't shake the feeling that if I had a couple of scars from that time I saved a toddler from oncoming traffic, I might tack a few additional points onto my IQ. If I suffered a really impressive accident (partial paralysis as the result of hypothermia while on some sort of resue mission in the Swiss Alps?) maybe I'd even be able to sit through an entire church service without wishing I had my iPod.
Yeah, I know. I need to stop watching so much TV.
zebrasaur at 11:27 a.m.
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