This American Life

I was catching up with This American Life on Showtime. I had only seen one episode, that came as an extra on some DVD I rented ages ago, but I really enjoyed it.
One of the episodes that Jon and I watched was about a man named Michael Phillips. He was born with a medical condition that has left him immobile and dependent on machines. His mind is sharp though. He is wicked smart! Right now, he communicates with his computer.
As we watched the show, and listened to his words (Delivered by Johnny Depp, no less!) I found myself really impressed with his love of life. I found him to be very inspiring. I also felt kind of ashamed of a lot of the things we all take for granted on a regular basis.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think he has set out to be some kind of inspiration, in fact, I get the impression that all he wants is to have a life of his own. To have the same sense of independence that we all take for granted. My impression is that he does the best he can to stay positive and to make the best of his situation.
He is the best kind of hero, the reluctant hero. The person who is a fountain of inspiration just by how they live, not because they set out to be one.
I found his blog after we watched the episode, and saw very little complaining . I probably bitch more on my blog than he does on his. He is a really good writer and I love how he expresses himself and the way he finds inspiration in so many things. He is full of insight and low on BS. We could all learn a thing or two from him. I highly recommend checking out his episode of This American Life and his blog. I've added him to my links as I'm looking forward to following his adventures for many years to come...





And being caught in between all you wish for and all you seen
And trying to find anything you can feel that you can believe in
-Joseph Arthur