Porter's life moved me when I saw the recent movie about him
on TNT (DOOR TO DOOR), starring William H. Macy . . . look for it on that channel and/or see if your local video store has it as a rental . . . you won't be disappointed.
But in the meantime, get hold of this inspirational book . . . Brady, who first worked for Porter as a teenager and now shares his story with various organizations and corporations, helps you
see that each one of us can make a difference . . . and as
Bill says, "Never doubt that your life is important."
You'll further become convinced that you can change the
world--one door at a time!
There were many memorable passages; among them:
According to the MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY, the word "no"
is an act or instance of refusing or denying something. For instance, a customer's refusal to purchase goods or services from a salesperson is generally expressed via the word "no." For some reason or another, Bill Porter doesn't hear it that way. Bill hears the word "no" differently; he hears it to mean that the customer will be glad for Bill to return at
a more convenient time or please to be shown another, more
necessary product.
After talking with Bill about his dependence on others to complete his dressing, I wondered if under the same circumstances I would have had the courage to ask others to help. I quickly realized that we all need help, we all lack skill of some sort or another. It's just that
most of our inabilities aren't so visually evident as Bill's; they may be psychological rather than physical, and, often, we create them ourselves. And, as we all know, some of our self-imposed mental disabilities can be more difficult to overcome than physical ones. All Bill Porter needs is someone to button his cuffs and clip his tie; it's the rest of us who need attitude adjustment, R&R, and pep talks. In my clearest moments, I am able to see Bill Porter as he sees himself and truly say "What disability?"
And so with the aid of family, friends, and a few employees, I am better able to appreciate the time I spend with my family, while the joy I get form traveling to share Bill's story lasts until our next adventure. From Bill, I learned to accept the help of others without feeling less of a person. I also learned that others are just as capable as I am of doing many tasks that I thought only I could do perfectly.
I'm not knowledgeable about cerebral palsy, and I don't even know anyone who has CP. Nonetheless, it sounds to me like a major handicap. The biggest impact that Bill Porter's story had on me was that everything the typical person would consider to be a handicap, an obstacle, a disability, or a setback, would not only be written off by Mr. Porter as unimportant, but instead considered to be a springboard to something better or more positive. There's a lesson here for everyone.
The engaging story covers 132 pages, followed by another 30-plus pages of letters received mainly in response to a 20/20 television feature on Mr. Porter that aired in December of 1997. I didn't see the show, but I'm convinced it had a profound effect on a multitude of viewers. There's also a brief afterword by Mr. Porter himself, so heartfelt that I wondered whether or not a first-person account might have made the book even better. There may not be philosophical "words to live by" on every page, but Ms. Brady just might prove to you that your life is better than you think.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to just about anyone.