Patience and Persistence
...tand the ordeal that Bill Porter had to withstand, one must understand his condition: Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy can range in a variety of different symptoms and forms. From blindness to mental retardation, Cerebral Palsy can affect any child under the age of five and last throughout their entire life (Aaseng 12). It is described as a ‘multiple disabling condition that may affect a person’s senses, intelligence, ability to learn, personality, and emotions’ (Aaseng 12). There are no statistics as to how many people will be diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy because, unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition and cannot be pre-diagnosed before birth so not a lot of research has been done towards its favour (Aaseng 12). Cerebral Palsy is not a disease and one cannot catch it if one is near; however it does affect a good portion of North America each year and will continue to affect the world if nothing is done soon (Aaseng 12). Not only did Bill Porter endure Cerebral Palsy, he was also given the test of a lifetime, sometimes harsher than his condition: labelling. Labels can help at times when used appropriately; unfortunately, in Porter’s case, they were not. Labels like “Retard” and “Crippled” were in constant use throughout his life. Yet, as he learned from his mother, it all depends on how one handles the pressure that determines their wealth of knowledge and patience towards the persecutor. Bill did experience the advantages of his label as well. His condition helped him to meet his long time friend Shelly through the incapability’s of his condition in the delivery of the appropriate packages. Although there were benefits and drawbacks to his labelling, he used the labels to his advantage, even the labels that were meant for offensive uses. Not only did Bill Porter have to experience labelling on a daily basis, but he also had to practise the Principle of Normalization in his day-to-day routines. Although his mother tried to make life easier for her son, it was a difficult task to undertake. Porter could not do the things that most of society takes for granted. For instance, buttoning a sleeve on a shirt, putting on a tie, or even tying shoelaces. These tasks were a burden to Porter and to his mother, who found it difficult to even remember her own son’s name at times after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (Door-to-Door). Yet, if there is a will there is a way, and Porter found a way. With his shoes untied, his sleeves all open and his tie askew, he would approach a friend and tell a joke, while he was telling the joke they would straighten his tie, button his sleeves and tie his laces, but never for free. Throughout his life, Bill would constantly remind, even the people he knew and loved...