October 18, 2011:
Cheerful, sunny even, despite adversity and pain and loneliness.
His wheelchair has only 1/2 inch of foam for him to sit on all day, and he's dirty, like an auto mechanic at the end of a shift. Yet he's so polite it's painful, calling everyone "sir".
Two men in crutches climb the stairs. The driver in surprise: so many cripples today. The man in the wheelchair explains: it's the weather. When seasons change and cold arrives, people with bone injuries have an especially tough time.
Says to the others: "I used crutches for years. Not anymore though!" Points cheerfully to his amputated knees.
Ain't life a bitch?