When I was waiting tables in college, some of us used to play exceedingly dorky, oftentimes gross bordering on disgusting, games of Would you rather? None of the quandaries were ever pinned to reality, but mostly served to pass the time with nonsensically humorous one-upmanship. Recently, nearly fifteen years removed from that gross-me-out, middle school level of comedy, I came up with a new, thoroughly realistic one.
Would you rather be able to walk, talk, or use your hands and arms?
I've given it a lot of thought and I don't know that there is a definitive answer, that is, each person might answer differently.
I would love the ability to walk, run, hike, do stairs, etc. So much that it almost hurts to think about. The personal freedom that it provides, the most simple human act of walking down the street, or through the woods, might alone be enough to fill every other hole in my life. I don't think I'd ever get tired of it - I might feel like I could do anything.
I haven't yet lost my ability to talk, though it's certainly been compromised, so I’m sure I don't fully understand its impact. It's hard to imagine not being able to communicate with words, but as my voice has grown weaker, I've gained some perspective. I've lost a significant piece of who I am through my words. I act differently, more quietly. Wherever I am, I am less there without my voice. Having it back would certainly make me closer to the people around me, make it easier to have people around me, and undoubtedly make me feel far less alone.
Perhaps last is the outlier, the reality most difficult to imagine. What would your life be like without use of your hands and arms? We've all seen people in wheelchairs, making their way through life just fine. But your hands?! The hands do everything. If you were to care about your independence in the slightest, you need your hands. With full use of my hands and arms, my life would be wholly different.
Maybe it'd be an easy decision, for me. Each idea makes my heart ache, none more than the first. But if I think it through, it's obvious which would have the greatest impact. I would choose my hands.
