"Frank Can You Fix My Leg?"

So why did we go to Appalachia? The big question. Yes, I am sure we all learned about ourselves and about others. I am sure we made new friends, and had great experiences, but what was it really all about. What was the big picture? My group had the privilege of working at the home of an eighteen year old boy who had been paralyzed in a biking accident. We were helping build him a deck and a new handicap ramp so he could get to his new bedroom and did not have to sleep in the living room anymore. On paper it sounds like a very sympathetic story and gets a lot of “aw’s” if you know what I mean, but I quickly learned that this was not the case at all. Robert was just like any other member of our group. Granted Robert was paralyzed, and he was not well off financially. He did not live in a large home, and he did have the best opportunities in life. Nonetheless, Robert was still your average teenager. He liked country music and talking to girls, he loved hunting and fishing, and he was always playing on the computer and watching TV. The biggest misconception that we were all sent to Appalachia with was the idea that we were going to be helping people we should feel sympathy for. However, this was not nearly the case, and I am sure that if Robert or his mother’s boyfriend Frank had thought this they would have been very offended. While we were working one day, Robert had taken his usual position on the deck surveying the scene as the rest of us worked away on the ramp. Then along came his obnoxious three legged dog Prince, who arrogantly perched himself upon the foot of Robert’s wheel chair as if the spot belonged to him by some sort of noble entitlement. He proceeded to obnoxiously knock Robert’s foot off where it dangled helplessly because he could not move it back up. “Frank can you fix my leg?” asked Robert annoyed. Frank began heading in the direction of Robert, but I was closer so I quickly hoisted his leg back into position, paused for just a moment where I felt something click in my head, and then continued working. In that moment it had hit me why we were there. We weren’t there to help Robert because we felt bad for him. We didn’t travel nine hours to Appalachia to look around and see how poor people were and talk about it to make ourselves feel better and feel like we made a difference. The fact is everybody no matter what situation they come from needs help at some point. Every human being is reliant on assistance at some moment in our lives no matter how brief or insignificant it may be. Robert was not ashamed to ask for a little help lifting his leg nor should he be. He was just your average teenage boy who needed a helping hand. We are a codependent race, humans. We need each other. As Frank spoke to us about his past, where he’d been, what he’d seen, and the people he’d met he began talking about meeting Robert’s mother and how he had come to Buchanan County. As he spoke of Robert and his mother he made a profound statement. He said, “You know kids, if I was still single I’d be rich. If I hadn’t met Robert’s mom I’d have a lot of money. I’d have a lot of money, but I wouldn’t really ‘have’ anything at all.” Frank had traveled the world. He had seen and done just about everything, but it took him coming to Buchanan County, Virginia to find what really mattered in life. We didn’t go to Appalachia to talk about the big bad coal companies, to see the poverty stricken neighborhoods, or even to learn how to square dance. We went to Buchanan County to stretch out a helping hand to a friend who needed one, to learn what was really important, and to meet some people that would change our lives.