Nick Vujicic his Life Without Limits
My Son-In-Law- Mike invited me to go with him to an event last Saturday night at the Redmond, Oregon Expo Center. Our wives were in Portland for the quilt expo and the kids with out for their weekend with their birth father so it was just the two of us batching for the weekend. He said we should have sushi and take in the event. He was going to hear Nick Vujicic on Friday at Bend High School. I was pretty sure that my friend "The Happy Hoosier" that I use to hang out with down in Naples at the RV park had heard him and raved about him back in the day.
Mike heard the talk on Friday and was impressed.
The Expo parking lot was getting full when we got there and of course all the handicapped/van parking was full. Mike was getting ready to park like an RV (take up two spaces and hope someone didn't hem him in) when a golf cart pulled up and said to follow him, there were plenty of spaces in back. We followed for about a half mile around the barns practically up to the back door and double wide spaces where Mike could let down the ramp and roll out in his power chair. Although confined to the power chair, Mike still has the use of arms and hands, unlike Nick Vujicic who was born with neither arms feet that were developed past barely a flippers with two toes on the left and we couldn't see what on the right.
We were early. A long line snaked up to give Nick a hug and then file by to fill out a sheet so that they could tally for an attempt at a world record number of hugs in one hour. "He can't shake hands, so give him a hug," the front man on stage kept urging.
The wait grew to one hour stretching the opening past the advertised 7 p.m. to 7:30 and introductions were made for an "Acoustic Rock Band" Elliot. Elliot members have been working since 2007 in the formation of "The Heart Campaign, a campaign for social justice and desire to see positive change in communities where they play. During the day hundreds of redshirted volunteers with "I heart Central Oregon love is action" logos had spread out to the communities of Prineville, Madras, Redmond, Sisters, Bend, LaPine doing good deeds, helping "neighbors" with small and large projects. The event at the Expo center was a celebration and reward. Tickets were free for anyone taking time to pick them up ahead of time, and a token $10 at the door.
I'm not sure what the title "acoustic rock band" means. In my elderly mind acoustic means it isn't amplified and the natural acoustics do the work. Of course that doesn't do much good if you are playing those solid body guitars. Anyway, it was loud. But I took out the hearing aides and the lead singer of Elliot was quite good. I liked it. Mike who likes it that way, kept looking over at me and asking if I was OK.
The ground row seats were arranged in a large block of those who get there early and want to see the stage, stand and wave their arms, maybe dance in the aisles a while. The second block, the main block was separated from the close block by a 20 foot section which provided a walkway between where Nick had been at the end of the "hug line" and where he would go to his "book signing reception line" during the concert.
We were seated on the second row of the second seating section with the 20 aisle walkway in front of us. As Mike said, the people watching couldn't be any better.
During the concert the lights were down up front but not so much by midway back. We couldn't see the stage from back there but two video cameras were putting the main singers and clusters of players up on huge screens so we could see fine. But the action was taking place right in front of us. It was like watching the shore birds on the beach, except these were tiny birds, they were the Junior High School kids, and high school kids in an endless parade going from one side of the arena to the other. They came and went in groups of two five ten, then a singleton, pacing, flocking, swooping, to and fro, ebbing and flowing. It kind of went with the music. When the music reved up and pounded they stopped and faced the stage and bobbed and jumped and waved their arms, when the singer slowed down and sounded as though he was singing something meaningful, the flocking and swooping began all over again.
Until.... the music stopped and Nick Vujicic was introduced.
It was hard to get a perspective on him because of the video projection on the giant screen. But his voice was strong with a slight Aussie accent. He had the audience spellbound in an instant and pretty much kept them there the rest of the evening.
It didn't take long for him to launch into the main theme of his talk and it hit the topic that this blog has been about from the start... to paraphrase him...
"It doesn't take many people telling you are ugly to make you start believing it.... and for every time you hear it, it takes a thousand others telling you you are beautiful to undo it."
He recalled how he had been teased, harassed in school. And the whole litany. It was a classical story of bullying. He had told the same story to the study body at Bend High School, and Summit High in Bend and at Crook County High School on Friday.
My thought at the moment was if a man like Nick Vujicic, born with arms or legs was bullied by kids what chance does a kid who is a little chubby or skinny or whose voice isn't changing quickly enough going to have? I happen to believe that in his case some intervention from people at the schools was called for as it is now. I don't think that faith alone will save a middle school child from committing suicide if she is being bullied to up to a certain point and she sees no support on this earth.
I think that appearances such as he makes helps kids as well as some adults realize better how to react to individuals who have a physical disability.
Sitting in front of us was a woman with a young child, I assumed was preschool. The woman I assumed was in her 20's. The woman took the child to where I think Nick was signing his books. When they came back, there was a conversation between them about people who are different and have to do things differently because of it. It was a good discussion and the child's questions were being answered intelligently.
Nick found an inner strength to survive and faith. It has worked for him. Building on that he has overcome impossible odds to become a successful man, inspirational writer and speaker. His website points to his blog and his books.
If you missed his talk check him out.
Respectfully submitted,
Kenneth Fenter
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