Our Prosthetic Leg

A while ago on my way to entering the supermarket, I passed by a youthful group standing at the entrance door. They were comfortably chatting and laughing with an air of positivity surrounding them. Among this group, my eyes caught a young man wearing sports shorts that was revealing a prosthetic leg. I was instantly swept with an overwhelming admiration and respect toward him. If it was not for the fear of invading their space, I would have certainly went over to express my feelings for him.

I cannot claim that I know the life details of this young man nor the different emotional states that he could be passing through at other times. I do know though that in this particular instance he was brave enough to refuse to succumb to what could otherwise be a hampering factor. He consciously decided to wear a sports short, expose his prosthetic leg and go out, stand confidently with a group of friends in public and laugh comfortably with them. This young man accepted his vulnerability and chose to use it to defiantly face the world.

Figuratively, we all have a prosthetic leg. It could take the form of a spontaneous heart, a problematic disease, a particular fear, a wounded self, a certain weakness or a peculiar passion. It becomes our vulnerability; a justifiable reason to either refrain from fully living the experience of life or to dive right into risky ill-calculated behaviors, if left untamed.

Aiming at ridding ourselves from vulnerabilities is futile. By virtue of our design as imperfect creatures, we will continue to have our own. However, instead of denying and hiding their existence, we ought to surface and acknowledge them. This does not mean allowing these vulnerabilities to control our life. It rather means bringing them to the light to be able to see how they impact the way we feel, think and behave and what we can do about them. Accepting our vulnerability is the first step in weakening its grip over us.

Self-denial and pretending to be invincible is a typical defense mechanism from our ego. Playing the role of the victim who helplessly gives the free reins to their vulnerability to control their life is another easy survival technique. The issue is however, both techniques are superficial, short-lived and always fall short on delivering on their objective: own protection, peace of mind and a centered self. Sooner, rather than later, life will present us with an unexpected encounter that will put us in direct confrontation with our vulnerability demanding that we look for a sustainable way of managing it.

The good news is that we can do it. Yes, facing our vulnerability is challenging, unsettling and can lead us to uncover dark areas in our selves that we never thought existed before or wanted to admit. But when we witness the transformation that our character undergoes and the impact this arduous process has on how we eventually behave and view things; God how rewarding and reassuring it becomes.

We are human beings. Vulnerable, fallible and imperfect. Denying that or acting otherwise is pointless and a reflection of our deep-seated fear of self-confrontation. Our challenge is really about accepting this vulnerability, finding out how it is impacting us and how we can manage it - to the best of our abilities - in a way that does not compromise on the quality of how we lead our lives. This is the real strength of character.

I learned that part of honoring our Self and setting it free is to honor our prosthetic leg.