Friday, September 17, 2010
This American Life: Mike's Life Blog
In 10-15 sentences, please react to Mike's life from class on Friday, 9/17. How did learning about Mike affect you? Did it make you feel differently about your situation? Please pick a subject that is relevant to Mike's story, expand it to a theme, and discuss how that theme might directly apply to your life. This may involve some empathy or sympathy: you decide which one.
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Hearing about mike's situation showed me the little things in my life i take for granted. I cant imagine not having control of my body. When he said I have to ask to do little things when other people don't think about having to ask they just do.I couldn't help to think what it would be like and I still can't fully imagine it.I think freedom would be a good theme for his story because all he wants to do is be free from his body. He feels like he is trapped in there and cant live a real life. But in the end i think that he starts to get a little more freedom because he might get to live by himself with his girlfriend.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the situation that Mike is in made me realize just how lucky I am. Every day I go out and function as normal human being and don't really think about people like Mike that can barely do anything without the help of other people. I can't imagine what I must feel like to not be able to speak, or what its like to not even be able to get up and walk under your own power. The way he has to communicate was really hard to imagine. It took him forever to put together a sentence, and he can't really convey his emotions as well as a normal person does. I think that we just need to remember people like Mike and always keep them in our thoughts so we don't take our every day lives for granted.
ReplyDeletePeople take advantage of the simplest things, for instance, the ability to speak. Communication seems to be imperative to life. It connects the world. Mike, a man deprived of speech, has to communicate either through text or briefly through a voice box. Considering I can speak with ease, it is hard to relate to Mike through that physical aspect. But, Mike and I share a more metaphorical endeavor. My voice is trapped like his. I have found it difficult to share an ongoing family issue with my friends. I feel the urge and the need to talk to them about it, but my conscience pulls on my vocal chords. I show empathy for Mike in that I too am unable to easily communicate with the people that surround me everyday. It is something that, like Mike, I may just have to live with.
ReplyDeleteMW
I live in a bubble surrounded by “normal” people and do not see the rest of the world around me. This might sound horrible, but sometimes I forget that people are not like me and do not have the blessings that I have, like talking or walking on my own. Watching the video about Mike made me realize how lucky I am. I can talk whenever I want without having to type it out and have a voice announce it for me. I can get up and walk around freely and do not have to be wheeled around. I cannot imagine how he feels, being confined to his room all day everyday and only being able to leave if someone else goes with him. It must have been hard for Mike to know what it was like to be normal for a short while. He was able to speak and walk and live like a normal kid when he was younger, but over time things began to slowly fail. I admire Mike for wanting to do his own thing and live his own life by dying his hair, painting his nails and wanting to live on his own. After watching Mike’s story it makes me want to count my blessings and live my life to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteWatching the video about Mike's life made me feel terrible about the things I take for granted in life. If mike could move all his body parts and talk when he wanted to I'm sure he would never complain about homework or ever be in a bad mood. Mike showed me that I should always think about the small things and life and if I do that there will never be a bad day in my life is long as I have my health and mind. The life Mike lives is so tough, and yet he keeps a positive attitude and still finds the joys with his girlfriend and the freedom that he wants to expierence. If everyone in the world had mikes mindset then people would be accomplishing a lot and never forget what they have been blessed with. I don't know the difference between empathy and sympathy, but I feel very like Mike deserves more in life and I don't think I could ever fully understand what he is going through.
ReplyDeleteHow Mike lives is obviously not like mine. I am free to move, to talk, to freely voice my opinions and desires without someone there to tell me no to every request made. He is strong. He is able, with his disability, to hire an assistance, get a girlfriend, and be in as much control of his life as physically possible. In my life, I voice my opinions, do what I please, for the most part, and dictate my own life. Mike on the other hand, does not always have this advantage. His mother is always there, like an incessant fly. Her actions come out of love for her son, but at the same time, he needs space like any other individual. Although the disease has incapacitated him from a quote, normal life, he has found ways to be stronger and more defined in his individuality than any one person i know today. I believe that is incredible and i want to attempt to imitate his strength.
ReplyDeleteSome of us do not realize how lucky we are that we are able to walk, hear, or talk. We don't even realize how lucky we are to have brains that allow us to think and to express our feelings. Learning about Mike's situation reaffirms the idea that with enough will power and determination, we can overcome any adversity. It is so impressive to see how sane and normal Mike is when he communicates through his computer system. How does a person with so many problems act so calm?
ReplyDeleteMike is unable to do many of the things that we are fortunate enough to do everyday. The idea of never being able to participate in athletics is something I do not even want to think about. It's uplifting to see Mike persevere through all of his endeavors because it reminds me that I should take advantage of every opportunity that I have. In a world of opportunity, it is sad to see that some people don't really have any.
After seeing that clip about Mikes life, I was left feeling sad and like a spoiled kid. I could not even imagine not being able to communicate, freely move, or express my feelings on a daily basis. I commend Mike for having such a strong character and a great attitude towards his situation. It is a depressing thought to think about the effort it takes for Mike just to communicate to others and I commend him for having the patient to put up with it for years. From this video, I have learned to live life to the fullest. Life may seem all pleasant now, but at any day or any time, it could change in a heartbeat. Seeing how Mike has interacted with his physical condition has inspired me to take nothing for granted and to live life like all out. I feel extremely lucky with all of blessings I have been given, and it is the perseverance and strength like Mike's that I try to follow everyday of my life
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seeing his situation made me very thankful for being healthy and normal. I am very thankful that i dont have any disabilities that prevent me from doing the things i love. The courage mike has is amazing. He does not let his disability. I admire his perseverance. He has made me rethink everything about what im thankful for. I am thankful for having the ability to do such a simple thing as walk... or breath on my own. I cant even imagine never being able to taste food or speak for myself. Seeing his situation has made me realize there is more to be thankful for then most people see.
ReplyDeleteKM
There exist only a few liberties which, if taken from me, would emotionally and spiritually kill me. The most important of those, my sole unbridled outward persona, my voice, creates for me the world in which I thrive. Something so common, yet, often not paid enough homage for its power. As a child grows, it develops wants and needs, and the way it communicates those to the outside world lies in its voice. Strip that device from any person and you have crippled their existence on a physical and metaphysical plane. With no outward channel for the inward voice, a person must surely be drawn to insanity. Seeing the torment in Mike's eyes, as frustration overwhelms his frail frame, I feel not only sympathy, but empathy as well. Sympathizing with a situation comes easily for society rears us from a young age to sympathize, whether it be genuine or not. Empathy, on the other hand, involves mental displacement of yourself: removing the warm comfortable feeling of completeness to subjugate yourself for the mere purpose of understanding someone else. Empathy is a self-less act and torment of the sort that Mike goes through deserves no phony tears. Rather than cry for Mike, I believe he demands that we bring about action, not sadness. People frequently proclaim that God works in mysterious ways, so perhaps this serves as a sign. A sign that no matter how comfortable we may feel, there always exists someone who faces Hell every morning as they wake, and every night as they struggle to find the will to stay alive.
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Seeing Mike's situation deeply saddened me. He cannot move, or speak and I have no idea how he can just continue to plow through life seeing the good, and just being happy. His strength is awe inspiring and I admire him for not only living with his struggles, but finding his own independence when he is so dependent on others so he can live. His story has taught me to not only appreciate life and be thankful, but to realize how short it really is. Each day he never knows if it will be his last, he does not know how long his time on Earth is. He also has had a dozen scares and once actually died. I never think, hey today could be my last day, because I am so preoccupied with other things and the thought of dying seems so far away. Through this he has taught me to take hold of oppurtinities and to live life to the fullest. Mike has an incredible amount of strength and has indivualized himself through painting his nails, piercings, and other things that he finds is cool. I admire his strength and hope he will one day be independent and live on his own (even though he will need assistants at least it will be his own house).
ReplyDeleteExcellent heartfelt words by all of you. Matthew gets the blog of the day. Thank you all for your empathy.
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