Hockenberry: Drawing Complex Relationships between Self and Others
John Charles Hockenberry, born on 4th of June, 1956, is an author and American journalist. Additionally, he is a three-time Peabody Award and Emmy Award winner who has worked in the media industry from the year 1980. Hockenberry has not only reported from all over the world, but he has also anchored several programs for cable network TV and the radio. He has reported for newspapers, magazines and online media. At the age of 19, he sustained a car crash, which left him with paraplegia, and he is currently a prominent figure in the disability rights movement. An analytical examination of how Hockenberry draws complex relationships between self and others will be presented below (Hockenberry, 2008).
When Hockenberry was a child, wheelchairs appealed to him in a magical way. He often thought that they were special chairs that had the ability to move but very little to do with people who could not move. Hockenberry thought that such unique chairs were clever and wonderful modes of transportation, and desired to own one. He later learnt that only people who were sad could own wheelchairs. He further learnt the tope of pity that was appropriate to sue when a person with a wheelchair appeared in his line of vision. It is thus clear that his lie experiences through observation were a form of learning that enabled him to form complex association between himself and other people who were in complex situations. John Hockenberry finally learnt not to see a cripple in a wheelchair but a person with great gifts and talents.
When Hockenberry was nineteen years old and a freshman at the Chicago University, he was on a car accident while hitching back with his best friend from a trip east (Hockenberry, 2008). The accident left him with a permanent injury of the spinal cord at the chest level. Following his experience with disability, Hockenberry learnt that the world is frightened of people who are different, for whatever reason, and would prefer if such people never existed at all. He learnt to violate the world’s perception on how cripples ought to act, by going wherever he wanted and scathing about any person who tried to get his way. The world held the perception that words like “bravery”, “heroism” and “courage” were not associated with the crippled. This however was not the case with Hockenberry, who despite being crippled proved to be a hero and role model to many.
Among the strong quotes held by John Hockenberry is that of self pity being a no means of playing cards. Some of the books written by Hockenberry have a great sense of humor. It is thus clear that he had fully learnt to accept his condition and go on with life. It is no coincidence that he has won several awards and doing much better than a normal person. By learning to accept himself and his situation, Hockenberry could easily relate with other people and draw complex relationships between self and others. By understanding his condition, he could also easily understand the situation of other people and the world in general. This has guided his through his career in journalism and even writing.
Reference
Hockenberry, J. (2008). Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs, and Declarations of Independence. Paw Prints
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