If there is a will, there is a way

By LIM MUN FAH Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE

The otherwise joyous Chinese New Year celebration was spoiled by two suicide cases and one murder reported on the sixth day of the Year of the Rabbit, with three precious lives lost.

Should the media report on more inspiring stories than such tragic incidents?

Perhaps we can something from the stories of the 19th century famous blind social reformer Helen Keller and contemporary plucky Chinese amputee pianist Liu Wei.

Helen, the world-renowned author, socio-political activist, and lecturer, became deaf and blind in 1882, while still a baby, because of meningitis.

Helen found that she had to use gestures to communicate with her family members but others talked with their mouths. Out of curiosity, she could not help but touched their lips. When she found out about her defects, she became frustrated, her temperament turned worse, and her attitude and behavior became intolerable.

Fortunately, Ann Sullivan, a former student of the Perkins Institute for the Blind, was hired as Helen's instructor when she was six years old.

Under Ann's loving careful guidance, Helen learned to read and write in Braille. She also learned to speak slowly. Since then, her life was transformed to become more positive. Although Helen could not see with her eyes, she could actually "see" much clearer with her soul than those with healthy sight, and although she could not hear with her ears, she could "hear" much louder clearer through her spirit than those with healthy hearing.

Helen Keller with her teacher Anne Sullivan

Later, Helen graduated from the Radcliffe College of Harvard University, being the first deaf-blind person to earn a unversity degree, and wrote several books and articles, including The Story of My Life, Three Days To See and Light in My Darkness. She had visited 35 countries and through lectures, she shared her experience to give the weak the will to live. She fought to build schools for the blind in various countries. She also paid frequent visits to hospitals and at the same time, she fought for the rights for the poor and the black. She promoted world peace and impressed the world with her strong will, gentleness and outstanding contributions.

The world is a wonderful place because there are many people as kind and strong as Helen.

In China, a 10-year-old boy fell into a coma after getting an electronic shock when he was playing hide and seek with her friends. He woke up 45 days later and found that he had lost both his arms. The boy is called Liu Wei.

Liu did not fall into depression after losing his arms, but continued to learn to be independent. When he was 19 years old, he practiced piano seven hours a day with his toes, with his extraordinary persistence, and was able to reached the Grade 7 level within a year. He then joined the Disabled Art Troupe of Beijing and started to write lyrics and arrange songs.

Last year, Liu participated in the "China Talent Show" and impressed the audience with a stream of beautiful rhythm, with his ten toes dancing on the keyboard. At the end of his performance, the audience and the three judges gave him a standing ovation. Many were touched and even had tears in their eyes.

Asked to comment on the high praises from the audience and the judges, Liu said: "I have only two options, whether to die quickly or live splendidly. There is no rule that one must play piano with the hands."

Yes, life is not perfect but it is full of hope. Just like Helen and Liu, we can still live a confident and wonderful life once we have overcome physical defects.

Sin Chew Daily