by Emily Harryman
(Editor's Note: Thank you to Donna Seliger and Winifred Downing for sharing this tribute to a man many in ACB know of, John Taylor of Des Moines, Iowa.)
Hand in hand we walk, talking about everything along the way, people we know, what we have been doing, and how we feel about all of it. We have taken many journeys like this, my Papa and I, sometimes with a mission, like to get an ice cream cone or to visit the shore of a lake. Other times, we just walk to be together. From the time I was very little, I would look up at him and think, "He is so strong and brave, he can go anywhere." Papa is my hero.
Papa is my mother's father, but when I started talking, I couldn't say Grandpa. It always came out Papa. After awhile, everybody just gave up, and he became Papa, even after I learned to speak properly. As soon as I could walk, Papa would take my hand and we would go places. He would ask me to describe what I saw and what I thought. He listened and never rushed me. With Papa's hand in mine, I felt safe and loved.
Papa has led an interesting life. He grew up on a farm in Tennessee, and tells funny stories about it, like the horse they had that they put a ladder against to get on, and even put a rocking chair on his back. He can recite poetry that he learned years ago in school. He has traveled all over and met many fascinating people along the way. He makes friends wherever he goes, and has always been willing to lend a hand where needed.
Papa has had many jobs, including working in a factory, being a teacher, working as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. and heading a state government agency. He has been the guest speaker at everything from local Boy Scout meetings to national conventions. He serves on boards, scholarship committees, and is active in community service. Despite his busy schedule, he has always made time for me.
My Papa knows so much about so many different subjects that he is never boring to talk to. He can fix just about anything. He has rewired his house, grown a garden, built furniture, done plumbing and changed the oil in his car. He has been to almost every state, as well to other countries, and he can tell about the history of all of them. His friends call him for advice on all kinds of issues. Walking and talking with Papa, I have learned more than I can even begin to tell.
There are people that might be thinking that some of these accomplishments aren't really that big of a deal. Maybe for some people they aren't. But many years ago, my Papa began a journey full of struggles, where a simple walk on his own was a challenge. Before he went to college, got married, had kids and did most of the things I already mentioned, Papa lost all of his sight. He has been totally blind for most of his life.
Knowing that he is blind, most people would say he is a hero. A champion for people with disabilities, a shining example of how one can overcome barriers in life, a person who takes what life throws at him and makes good of it, he is a man to be admired. Papa walks proud and brave into every situation, with a strength most people are never challenged to show.
A hero is defined as a man distinguished for valor, fortitude, or bold enterprise; anyone regarded as having displayed great courage or exceptionally noble or manly qualities, or who has done a deed or deeds showing him to possess such qualities. I believe that Papa has done what it takes to be considered a hero. I think that there are many people who know him that would agree. All my life, I have been told how truly amazing my grandfather is. But, in truth, that is not what makes him my hero. For me, he is my Papa, a person who loves me totally and unconditionally. He is someone who consistently encourages me, who is never disappointed or mad at me, who is unfailingly interested in what I say and do. Papa knows how to make me feel like I am the most important person in the world. For those reasons, he is my personal hero. He may be a hero to other people for different reasons, but to me it is just a matter of his always being there for me.
My Papa has recently begun another journey, a walk where I can only take his hand for part of the way. Papa has been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. The doctors say there is nothing they can do. This time, when he goes away, he won't come back. It is no surprise to anyone that he has shown the same courage now as he has so many times before in his life. I can only look at him and think, "He is so strong and brave, he can go anywhere." Papa is, and will always be, my hero.