Thank you. Thank you very much.
Posted on 05/16/2002 7:06:58 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
Most of us can drive a car, talk on the telephone, or brush our teeth with one hand tied behind our back.
Try doing it with two tied. Now you have an idea of what John Foppe goes through every day.
That's because he was born without arms.
"Doctors don't know why I was born without arms," explains Foppe. "Really I don't care to know why, 'cause they can't change that."
I used to work with John at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville, IL. We gave tours to what we called "pilgrims," the people who would stop by the shrine.
We've known each other for about 12 years, yet every time I talk with him, he manages to inspire me.
John uses his feet for everything — from typing a letter to drinking a cup of coffee. Just about anything you use your fingers for, John does with his toes.
"There's limitations," jokes Foppe. "My golf game will never improve."
So how did he become so flexible with his feet?
"I received no special training on how to use my feet," says Foppe. "It just happened."
It happened one day when his mother tried tough love. She told his brothers they were no longer allowed to help him in any way. That even included getting dressed.
John admits screaming at his mom, "I can't do this," as she left him alone to try the task on his own.
It took time and learning, but eventually he accomplished the task most of us take for granted. Soon, he began accomplishing more and more tasks on his own.
And instead of living his life asking "what if" questions, John chose to use his story to touch others. He's written a book appropriately titled, "What's Your Excuse?"
He's hopeful readers will pick up his new page-turner.
"The basic message of the book is that all things are within reach, but you must do the reaching," says Foppe.
The book recounts the tales of John's childhood in Breese, Illinois and learning to accept and conquer a disability.
"When I was in high school, I couldn't play football," says Foppe, showing me a jersey he's proud of. "My older brothers did. In small town America that's just the thing to do." John's brothers — all seven of them — participated in sports.
"The irony is I've never played football," he says, "but I've given motivational speeches for the Miami Dolphins."
He was invited by then-Miami coach Jimmy Johnson to come and speak to the team. It's safe to say his pre-game speech lifted spirits and opened minds.
That's what he does now. Armed with stories, anecdotes, and quotes to inspire others, John has become a motivational speaker. He's spoken with everybody from students, to sales people, to a group of rocket scientists.
"One of my favorite quotes is from Helen Keller," says Foppe. "Helen Keller said, 'The greatest tragedy of mankind is people going through life with sight, but no vision.'"
That's easy to see when talking to John; his challenge is not a hindrance, but merely a hurdle.
For more information on John Foppe and his book, "What's Your Excuse?" visit www.johnfoppe.com.
white male conservative that plays by the rules...
the government takes 50% of what i make, so it'll probably take me twice as long to get where i want to be.
plus, the 20% ripoff tax if i access any of my funds before i'm 59 n 1/2....need more?
The whole world is out to get me.
What's the big deal?
We had a President with no morals get into the White House, and now we have a Senate Majority leader with no brains!
Thank you. Thank you very much.
That isn't the word I would have used, but it is a lot cleaner.
Back when I spent a lot of time debating on the talk.origins newsgroup (dedicated to the evolution/creationism issue), one of the posters who impressed me the most was Tero Sand. His posts were always impeccably written, extremely well researched, and revealed a very keen intelligence.
Imagine my surprise when I learned years later that Tero Sand had been a quadriplegic requiring a 24/7 respirator almost his entire life, (as a result of a car accident while a toddler), and that he had managed to acquire his broad knowledge without ever being able to travel to a library (the web was in its infancy even at the time I knew him), and he wrote all his numerous, lengthy posts by painstakingly punching a keyboard with a stick held in his mouth. And he did it all with jovial good humor.
Sadly, I learned of his condition from Tero's obituary. He died at the young age of 31 due to complications from a respiratory infection (paralyzed people who can't cough or control their breathing are at great risk for this).
"What's your excuse?" indeed.
I'm especially impatient with able-bodied people who write shorthand when communicating online (e.g. "Thx 4 ur info, bro"), or who fail to take two minutes to double-check something before they post it, because "it's easier". It would have been a lot easier for Tero Sand to shorthand his writings, but he took the time to write properly anyway, and document all of his assertions as well.
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