Living with a disability only makes you stronger as you continue living life. Jim Abbott grew up not knowing what life would be like with a right hand. As an 18 year old, who grew up with a limited use of his right side of his body, I look up to Jim Abbott for overcoming the obstacles in his life. Life is full of challenges, but if you look at Abbott’s life, you truly understand that you must break through the obstacles to get ahead in life.
Reading his booking entitled Imperfect: An Improbable Life, which he wrote with Tim Brown, allows a person understand the struggles of what life is like with a physical disability. For me, as a person who is inspired by the life Jim Abbott, I try to live my life by his words. In his book he says, “Don’t let your disability define who you are, instead you define and determine what the disability is.” To me that mean that a disable person, or anyone as a matter of fact, must be determine to break down each and every obstacle that comes their way.
Personally I do not allow my lack of ability to use my right hand and foot define who I am. Jim Abbott has a disability, but he did some amazing things in baseball career.
In my opinion, one of the most extraordinary moments in Abbott’s career was when he threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians to help the Yankees win. Every time I read or watch a video about that moment I get chills and it makes me think, “Wow, if Abbott can do something like that, I can do anything.” According to www.mlb.com, in an interview before the game, Abbott told the media, “The way I cope with my life, is just to take it one step at a time and in this game, I will do just that… I will focus on the strike zone and take it one pitch at a time.” The interesting thing about his statement is that he was able to connect his passion of baseball to how he handles life.
Living life with a disability is very difficult because the main goal of a disabled person is to life with some sense of normalcy. As a person with a disability, you really have to battle life head on because at times it is very difficult to find alternate ways to excel in the areas that you can excel in because of the boundaries the disability(s) present you with. There are those who are faced with problems in their lives and can’t fight through them, but Jim Abbott is an inspiration because he was able to make his disability work for him. In other words he use his weakness as an outlet to allow himself to do great things.
People who have disabilities cope with their situation differently from the people by finding activities that they enjoy doing. Like Jim Abbott, I enjoy baseball and I am a pitcher too. Some people might say playing sports isn’t the best idea for a disabled person, but I have the mentality that pushes me to go against the odds. People like myself and Jim Abbott are considered to be fighters and pushy because we are always breaking away from the regular way of doing things.
