Act Of Courage Jim Abbott Essay Research — страница 2

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hand and he just smiled. When I asked him what was so funny, he responded, Don t judge a book by its cover. I didn t say another word. He had said enough for the both of us. From that point on, I never looked at a handicapped person the same way again. Justin taught me what real courage is. The courage to just be one of the guys and compete at a camp that tested his true limitations. He showed all of us that day that he had no limitations! That summer gave me a new and heightened respect for athletes such as Jim Abbott. Jim is a role model for all kids. However, before endeavoring to expound upon an act of courage as exemplified by Jim Abbott, courage itself must first be defined. What is courage? Webster s dictionary defines courage as: mental or moral strength to venture,

preserve, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. In addition, courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of extreme difficulty. One renowned leader of the twentieth century pondered the meaning and interpretation of courage in his Pulitzer prize-winning book Profiles in Courage. John F. Kennedy expounded that courage is a diamond with many facets. (Kennedy 7) Kennedy exemplifies courage with intelligence, far-sightedness, and reason. In his foreword, Allen Nevins says, Moral courage is great and admirable in itself; but it must be pointed out that it almost never appears except as part of that greater entity called character. A man without character may give fitful exhibitions of courage But no man without character is consistently courageous, just as no man of

real character is lacking consistent courage. In short, moral courage is allied with the other traits, which make up character: honesty, deep seriousness, a firm sense of principal, candor, and resolution. (Nevins XVII) Jim Abbott personifies a man possessing both physical and moral courage. His character portrays great determination as well as integrity. Jim Abbott never lets his disability get the best of him. He stays positive and sees it as a challenge to overcome instead of a wall to thwart him as long as he lives. His great character is seen constantly when he encourages a young child with disabilities. He is known for saying, You can do whatever you want to do. There is no limit. He is an individual who is able to find the strength and courage to develop his talent in

baseball despite the odds. Whenever Jim does something wrong or screws up a play, he is never quick to blame his hand; he blames his heart and tries harder when faced with the problem again (Hinkins). Throughout Jim s life there were many factors that enabled him to reach his goals. Most important was the never-ending support from his parents. His parents, Mike and Kathy Abbott were only 19 when Jim was born. They had no warning that their baby would be anything but normal, so it came as a shock when they learned that Jim s right arm had not fully developed. The question that first entered their minds was that there might be some unseen mental impairment as well. The Abbots were soon relieved to learn that Jim was healthy in all other respects. Jim s parents face a very hard

decision to make. Should they raise Jim in a protective bubble, telling him from the beginning he was different, that he had a handicap that would limit the things he could do? They thought on one hand this approach might spare him the pain and disappointment of trying to keep up with other kids on the playing field and failing and possibly even being made fun of. Or should they ignore his so-called disability as much as possible, encouraging Jim to do whatever he wanted to do and gradually adapt on his own to having one hand? They had no help or experience to guide them. Relying on their instinct they decided to downplay the importance of Jim s physical defect and let him lead a normal life. From that point on they viewed it as an obstacle, a challenge to overcome, but no big

deal (Gutman 7). In addition, Jim credits his father for shaping his outgoing nature. For as long as Jim could remember, his father always told him not to be shy. His father urged him not to hesitate to meet new people. His father said, Whenever you see someone new, walk up to them shake their hand and say, Hi, my name is Jim Abbott. This never-ending support allowed Jim to never feel self-conscious about his incomplete arm. Jim s father encouraged Jim to be active. Jim showed an early interest in sports (Jennings 33-34). He saw other kids playing baseball and decides that joining their games would help him to fit in. Every day with help from his father, Jim practiced handling a ball and glove. Naturally, he adapted to slipping the ball out of his glove as he perched the glove on