[nfb-talk] Miles Vorkosigan

[Jack Heim]

Anybody here, besides me I mean, a fan of the books of Lois McMaster 
Bujold? She created this disabled character named Miles Vorkosigan who 
seems to have the mindset of a disabled character pegged. I mean, for me 
at least, the way Miles thinks about his disability is exactly the way I 
think about my disability.

There are 2 things, specifically, about the character that resonated 
with me. First, when someone tells Miles he can't do something because 
of his disability, he becomes all that much more determined to do it. 
The worst thing you can do is make fun of him, that will make him 
absolutely determined to prove you wrong. The second thing is that he 
just keeps going no matter what. I have always felt that being disabled 
is such a beat down that if you don't kind of artificially keep going, 
you'll never succeed at anything. Get what I'm saying? It's not so much 
being brave as it is fear of failure.  It's almost an advantage of being 
disabled, learning to just keep going no matter what.

I have asked only a handful of other disabled people to read these books 
and they were no where near as enthusiastic as I am. The character of 
Miles Vorkosigan didn't resonate nearly as much whth them as he does 
with me.

-- 
Jack Heim, john at johnheim.com
"In my position, it is somewhat important that I not say any foolish 
things."
  -- Abraham Lincoln