Last week I watched the movie “My left foot”, which tells the true story of Christy Brown, an Irishman born with cerebral palsy. He was so crippled that he could control only his left foot, and yet became a successful writer and painter despite his physical disability.
I always have a soft spot for “freaks”. Watching them often makes my eyes hurt and my heart ache. I remember when I was a child, the kids in my neighborhood made fun of a mentally retarded girl and a boy crippled by polio. At young age, I sometimes thought to myself, if I were them, I would rather not live.
As I have gotten older, I have realized that every life is precious and worth living. Now I know a little bit about biology and genetics, and understand that there is always a chance that a baby is born with a birth defect, which may be caused by an unpredicted or random event but with significant consequences. I often wonder how a cruel twist of fate can change the lives of a person and the family forever.
When a child is born with a terrible disease, he or she, fortunately, is also likely to be granted with some kind of gift or talent. However, most of these children are either institutionalized or ignored at an early age, and rarely have chance to cultivate and develop these talents. Christy Brown was one of the fortunate few. His parents refused to put him in an institution; he was surrounded and nurtured by his loving parents and siblings; he met a few professionals who recognized and cultivated his talents; most importantly, he had the mental power and inner drive that helped him succeed against all odds.
This movie makes me think that every person is born with a vast genetic potential, but it is rarely explored and tapped. For example, because we don’t need to use our left feet for purposes other than walking, our left feet never reach their full potential as that of Christy Brown did. We never unleash the full potential of our brain power, because we are often mentally lazy and idle. Christy Brown’s story reminds me of those of Helen Keller, Stephen Hawking, and many others, whose physical handicap had prompted them to utilize their mental resources and willpower and succeed in writing, arts, and sciences.
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I would like to thank 非文学青年 for recommending this wonderful movie to me! Please see her review of this movie
http://blog.wenxuecity.com/myblog/54988/201203/5744.html