To even begin to experience life with a disability is so wide a topic to be explored that such disabilities can be as trite as the burden of a common cold, or as large as what some might call a "handicap." Such, like the inability to get around in a way which the general society would deem "normal" would definitely fall into the latter of the two. But a disability as such is only as serious as the person for which the inability is posing the greatest effect.

Many an otherwise healthy and perfectly respectably individual has driven themselves into such depths of despair that they nearly waste away. Likewise, many a brave soul has conquered many an unimaginable barrier with the realization that anything can be overcome with an effective amount of ambition and hope.

Sir John Paul George Ringo the second, by name, was not one known to give up easily. The mischievous and often worrisome mishaps and struggles he had pressed his way through lie buried far behind him, for it was often said that his meanderings were often forgotten entirely. Sir John had acquired a valuable belief; What was, was then, shall never be now, and if a lesson was learned, shall be again no more. By this, he would swear.

But even the bravest of heroes has a weakness, and Sir John was certainly not without his faults. Apart from having formidable fashion sense and a taste for sugar candy, he had a monstrous fear of large, public places. In his fastidious community, a sense of, and need for close friendships was an asset, and one which the citizenry relied on heavily. Thus, when Sir John set out one day in hopes of finding a larger water supply, he departed, feeling the loss of that comforting closeness almost immediately. He found that the dark of night fell hard and cold when no one else was near to hold him close. He learned that days were not so bright and birds did not sing quite so beautifully when no one was there to experience the sensation with him. He learned that life is hard to travel through alone. He felt it hard to believe that he, of all things, could feel lonely in a world so crowded, and in places so full of people.

Suddenly, his journey seemed endless. He began to look back at his life, and regret past mistakes. He became angry with his feet, for they could not carry him fast enough; his eyes could not see far enough or clear enough, and his ears could not hear what was subtly hidden around him. He began to see himself no more as a powerful being, but as a piece of flesh, just like every other living thing; as mortal, and as insignificant as everything else around him. And as he thought, his spirit sank lower, his vision of happiness had nearly dissipated into nothing, and his dreams had departed with the migrating birds of November.

And with thoughts such as these, Sir John carried on, day by day, until he found himself dreadfully lost, and in a place he could not understand. He had lost himself in a world of people who were trapped behind thousands of closed doors, and whose utter boredom seemed to echo off the very walls that closed them in. The air was thick with repetition, and the more Sir John experienced of the strange place, the more afraid he grew. Madly, he raced towards the lights that seemed to be the only place of comfort, but the closer he got, the more pain he felt. He was nearly driven insane before he saw a passage back into the outside world that he was accustomed to. Driven by complete and total reverence, he raced towards the window at top speed, and flung his body swiftly towards the open field that lay beyond. But yet again, one of lifes barriers had appeared before him, and even though he tried repeatedly, thrusting his entire self towards the outside, he could not reach it, and with one final attempt, he ran head first, hit hard, and fell into a world of complete darkness.

What seemed like only moments to Sir John was, in reality, hours. And the hours that Sir John could not decipher between, turned, very slowly, into days. When he finally did open his eyes to the blinding light, and a throbbing sensation that pounded through his entire body, he found himself, still, in the very place he had been initially, only now, there was an overall sense of happiness about the room. The many people that filled the vicinity chatted amongst themselves, and the heavy lull of boredom seemed to be lifted. Suddenly, Sir John no longer felt the fear he had been trained to recognize since he was a baby towards these people that positioned themselves in tight little groups of five or six. Slowly, he lifted himself off of the hard surface he had fallen on, and began to walk towards a group he felt looked particularly friendly, And upon arriving, he found he had made the correct decision.

"Look at this, Liz he seems hurt!" said a gentle voice above him. Sir John relished in the sweetness of the words. He lifted his wings with the desire to fly closer, but found that he could not raise himself into the air. He could not, for that matter, even manage to move his wings, and so, we waddled around on his short and very much worthless little legs. He quickly forgot the happiness he was seeking. He had forgotten entirely his beloved community and all that swarmed through his head was how very irrelevant life was. Particularly his life.

As the minutes slowly ticked by, the two girls became very fond of Sir John, even though he could not speak to them, could not even look them in the eyes, or entertain them in any way. They guarded him from the troubles that would cloud around him, and they loved him, regardless of the fact that he could only walk around atop their schoolwork. Sir John, however, did not feel their love, or rather, he would not allow himself to accept it. They were, however, the enemy, and though, deep down inside, he loved them as well, or perhaps, because he loved them so, he felt deeply ashamed of his newly acquired disabilities. He felt so ashamed, indeed, that, after an entire hour spent with the girls, he could no longer stand to allow them to suffer with his disabilities, and so, with great force, he through himself to the floor to the ringing of a strong bell outside. The girls as well as the rest of the people in the crowded room placed their chairs up on the table and slowly began to exit for another day. But the girls paused for a moment, wondering where their newly found friend had gone, and they began to worry about him, for they had realized immediately that the poor thing could not fly. Then Sir John realized that they had known almost immediately, and that hadnt in any way changed how they felt about him. They loved him for who he was.

And at that moment, Sir John realized that the only thing limiting us from achieving even the greatest of things is ourselves, and when we can trust ourselves and each other, believe in ourselves, and keep trying, even when the going gets tough, we will make it in the end. And even though something unexpected may throw us off course, we need only look for another way to reach what we are hoping for. For nothing is truly impossible. Sir John smiled. He had learned a lesson, and this room would never be an obstacle to him again. Happily, he closed his eyes, raised his wings, and flew home, with all of the wisdom a fly of his age could ever achieve.