The Crippled Man

Being stopped in traffic on my way back from the ministry is not a good thing in this city.  No matter how dirty and dented we keep the cars, we still stick out from the masses when in convoy.  We were stuck in the midday rush, and although we knew it would only be a few minutes, it is still long enough for someone to take a poke at us, and lately folks have been poking at each other quite a bit.  In the rear seat, my job is to keep watch of my sector.  I found myself staring at a crippled man in a three wheeled rig built up from some bicycles where he could work the pedals with his hands to propel himself.  Clearly, something terrible happened to him leaving him paralyzed and without a leg, likely from one of the many wars over the last 35 years.  Yet, he seemed determined and his face showed that of proud man.  He was going about his life, shopping for goods and likely on his way home, not begging or complaining, just moving along.  His plight and this situation on that road that day said a lot about this place.  Modern cars were whizzing by, while his broken body was moving along at its own proud pace.  A perfect visual metaphor.