Essay on Nancy Mairs: Writing About Being a Cripple, From a Cripple's Perspective

Introduction

The writer Nancy Mairs was for deep thinking about writing an essay about being a cripple (Mairs). Herself she has a disability making the essay make a lot of sense because she is talking about personal experiences and the experience and interactions with other cripples. She is bringing out firsthand information that will have no judgment whatsoever because she is one of them. It is very sensitive to talk about the disabled people, disables, or the disabled, but on her side, she is helping the reader understand them even more. The writer talks more on semantics about which name seems fit to use, as they all mean the same, and that names should be straightforward and truthful.

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Summary

According to the writer, she decided to refer to herself as a disabled woman, she chooses the name many years ago from other semantics like I names earlier, "handicapped and disabled" (Mairs). She says that most of the people in her nature do not like being called disabled people as they think it sounds terrible. The name cripple always makes people pull a face, whether crippled or not. She didn't have a sure motive when referring to herself as a disabled person, which she still doesn't have, but she has accepted it and what to be seen as a strong person who has accepted the conditions that nature has brought to her, which is support firmly. With that kind of mentality, she is powerful and can achieve anything because nothing will pull her down. Acceptance is a determinant of one's progress, and it boosts self-esteem.

The writer is more concerned with the reality of matter, and she thinks that the name "cripple" is the perfect name to be used in her case because her limbs are completely numb and cannot function (Mairs). She thinks that the word cripple is an honest and straight forward name that one should come into terms with. She further explains that the other semantics like handicapped may mean that she is a disadvantaged position that other people or disabled, which means that means having less capacity either physically or mentally.

The author also talks about other words that have come up to make the situation sound better, like "abled differently" (Mairs). She explains this by giving an example of how struggling countries are described as developing countries, less developed countries, or underdeveloped countries while the problems are still constant. She says that the name cripple is accurate, precise, and straight forward. I support the writer's argument that the word cripple is the best name that describes the situation without passing the wrong message (Mairs). Though people are different and have different thoughts and feelings, I think each individual should be able to choose the semantics he or she is comfortable with and the one that brings joy into their life. Though I agree that calling a spade a spade life can be better and great things can be achieved, as the writer stated: " some realities do not obey the nature of the names they are given."

Nancy Mairs also states that she would prefer if she is referred to as disabled or handicapped to explain her crippled nature but would never accept "abled differently" (Mairs). She says that at least the latter is more close to the truth of the situation. Abled differently is a pretense to justify the differences between one person and the other, which she thinks in foolish thoughts. She says that the society has never been ready to accept the word cripple and they would instead name it otherwise. It has been accustomed so, and in my thoughts, it would be disrespectful to refer to someone as a disabled person because it will hurt their feeling. The name sound like undermining someone which the author is against. She only calls herself cripple and cannot call another person that name meaning that she too is accustomed to the way people operate and name things which she thinks should change. In my opinion, it is hard to use the "cripple" name when everyone thinks it is wrong.

Nancy Mairs also grew up as a healthy person, performed all her duties, usually without any help until at the age of 28, when she was misdiagnosed with a brain tumor (Mairs). She was later found with multiple sclerosis after a week of numerous tests. Having grown up being active like other children and teenagers might be the reason the writer is too harsh on her self. Maybe the reason that she cannot be able to perform all the duties that she could earlier or move around freely is the reason she is calling herself crippled. People who are born with the same conditions are accustomed to believe that they are abled differently or handicapped because that is how they came into the world. Again Nancy Mairs might have accepted that she cannot do a thing in the healthy way that she used before; that is why she is precise about the name cripple (Mairs).

Conclusion

It is the right of every person to air their views, and also everyone has the right to speech. Everyone has the right to choose a name of comfort when referring to themselves, but it would be hurtful or disrespectful to use it to other people if the other person doesn't like it. Names should be straightforward, and a spade should be called a spade, but people should be kind and have respect not to hurt other people. I would advise that the name that everybody is comfortable with to be used when referring to people with certain conditions.

Work cited

Mairs, Nancy. On being a cripple. na, 1986.