Lady Gaga has my attention today. If you don’t know who she is, look her up as I can’t explain her. One description is she is the “New Madonna”. I will say this about her…I am not a fan. That isn’t to say I dislike her, but I don’t have her on my iPod, okay? Here’s the deal.
Yesterday, while performing in Sydney, Australia to a select group of only a 1,000 at a special concert, she left the stage for yet another of her patented costume changes and re-appeared in a wheelchair to sing her song, “You & I”. I am not familiar with the song but I am familiar with disabilities, having been born without arms. That distinction is important because I tend to get lumped in with “The Disabled” as a descriptor and if you know me, I am hardly disabled. I am also not offended by the label as I just ignore it in favour of my truth. I have had challenges, however and there is the issue. Lady Gaga may have a problem with this stunt from one point of view…choice.
Clearly, people don’t tend to “choose” to be disabled and as to challenges, mobility is the biggy. I say I am not disabled but obviously, some things can be tricky. Try going to the bathroom and don’t use your hands! The point is, every human being is unique and their perception of challenge is the same. Some people, like me, my friend Warren MacDonald (lost his legs mountain-climbing) or the famous Rick Hansen (an acquaintance) who’s paralyzed but still wheeled around the world in his Marathon of Hope tour (25th anniversary this year) are okay with our lives, others are not. There is also a difference being born with a handicap versus one being thrust upon you. Another irony which many may not have considered (and I am generalizing) is that lots of people become paralyzed by accidents while living a high performance life, not sitting on their couch with their PS3! The reason that’s important is for people like my pal Warren, one day you’re living life on the edge, and three days later, you’ve had your legs amputated. Or perhaps a better way to think about this; one day you’re a soldier patrolling the backroads of Aghanistan and the next…BOOOM! You get the idea. Life is not fair but maybe the better question to ask like my good friend W. Mitchell asked after he was burned severely in a motorcycle crash, spent years recovering, went out and got his pilot’s license then crashed it and ended up in a wheelchair (quite the saga, huh?)…what do I do now?
People say I inspire others with my positive attitude and that’s flattering but the reality is, I went through my bitter times and realized being angry was adding to my challenges so when I “let it go”, my life improved. That point of view can be insulting to some but to that I say, “Get over it!”
The reaction to Lady Gaga’s latest stunt will be very predictable. Advocacy groups will generally slam her for being insensitive, insulting and politically incorrect. However, in my experience, their voice does not represent the majority who will look at this, discuss it around the water cooler and move on.
Lady Gaga made a choice, albeit a weird one, but really what is so shocking about someone who lives and performs to shock (at least she can sing, unlike Brittney Spears). How we react is also about choice and isn’t it wonderful to know that although life may throw us some crap, we can choose not to smell it!