The Definition of Lazy

My obsession with quadriplegics lingers. It’s not an interest I am particularly proud of, but I am hardly alone; there are plenty of people who gawk at dwarves, conjoined twins, and individuals with fetal alcohol syndrome. As a society, we are fascinated by physical abnormalities. With quadriplegia, I think the lure is part sympathy, part curiosity. To lose control of one limb is devastating, but to lose all four of them seems like an epic misfortune.

Hanging out with Ben last night, I took the opportunity to ask him whether he knew more about the quadriplegic who lived in the guest house referenced in the previous link. Earnestly, Ben responded:

“Oh, that’s a weird story. He had other problems, too. He was… he was lazy.”

If there was more to the story than that, I didn’t hear it, since it was interrupted; I thought I might never stop laughing. Calling a quadriplegic lazy just might be the best thing I’ve ever heard. I reckon that even a quadriplegic would bust a gut at that, which is a shame considering she has very few body parts to spare.