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Visiting with Dr. Stephen Hawking by Terri Rozaieski |
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It wasn’t long ago that I and my husband, Mike Rozaieski, Quantum Rehab Product Manager, found ourselves on a plane bound for England with the goal of meeting up with the Pride U.K. Team to deliver and complete the fine-tuning of Dr. Stephen Hawking’s Quantum Jazzy 1400 Power Chair. This is my attempt to sum up that incredible experience. I don’t think I can begin to explain to you my excitement at being a part of this project but I must begin by saying that it exists on many levels. There are a few points that stand out above all others.
Second, having met and spent time with Dr. Hawking, I have found that my predisposed ideas of the lives of those who spend a great deal of time in the spotlight have all but faded away. It was my belief that, simply based on his fame and notoriety, Dr. Hawking’s life, with regard to accessibility issues, was somehow easier than my own. I found that it is not. Dr. Hawking faces and contends daily with those same issues of concern to I and thousands of others with disabilities—rough or non-existent curb cuts, lights at street crossings that change quickly, and unfair and unrealistic stereotypes. It is this realization that brought me home with a new and heartfelt respect and dedication for what we do here at Pride. We make products to combat those things—for people like Dr. Hawking who are well-known and for people like me who are not—in the hopes of making a statement that barriers and limitations will not dictate the future of those with disabilities and mobility impairments. And lastly…a point upon which I must elaborate… To simply have met Dr. Hawking, one of my heroes, is, of itself, one of my most treasured memories. What began as an expectation of meeting one of the most brilliant men of all time was soon lost in the realization of meeting a man who is far more complex than to be defined by his intelligence only. Dr. Hawking is, without a doubt, brilliant. But he is also warm, gracious, caring, enthusiastic, accommodating, attentive and funny…
On our final day with Dr. Hawking, I scouted the Mathematics Building at Cambridge University for the perfect backdrop for publicity photos. Having found a chalkboard in a hallway, covered with an intricate and detailed mathematical equation, I approached Dr. Hawking. “Stephen (as I was asked by Dr. Hawking to address him), I think this would be the perfect spot for a few pictures but I have to ask you one thing. Can you look over the equation and make sure it’s correct? Because if I publish a picture of you in front of that board and it’s not correct, I’m going to get letters frall over the globe saying ‘How dare you insult Dr. Stephen Hawking by photographing him in front of an incorrect equation?’ I mean, I’d check them myself but, hey, it’s all Greek to me!” To which Dr. Hawking, glancing at the myriad symbols, with more than a hint of dry sarcasm, replied, “It is Greek, Terri.” To which I offered the most witty and eloquent retort available to me at the time, “Um, yeah. I guess it is.” (blush!) And… As we were about to depart Cambridge for the last time, Dr. Hawking asked to speak with me privately. He took a moment to thank me for assisting him in acquiring his chair and then he said something relative to a bit of news of which I wasn’t even sure he was aware. Earlier in the day, I had told Dr. Hawking’s wife, Elaine, that Mike and I had recently found out we were expecting our first child (which may also be news to some of you reading this!). Elaine then later, at lunch, reminded me to eat well “for the little one.” At that time, Dr. Hawking said nothing yet, as I was to learn, he had filed this information away and was waiting for just the right moment, and perhaps the right words, to speak. It was during our private time together later that afternoon that Dr. Hawking said to me, “It might seem awkward being a disabled parent but I did not find it so. Children accept as natural that you are in a wheelchair. Ask for their help. Don’t worry. Just make them part of the family team.” I remember thinking how insightful of Dr. Hawking. He could have spoken mere pleasantries regarding the weather and such or discussed the upcoming release of his new book. Yet, he chose to address the one thing that he intuitively knew was weighing very heavily on my mind. I’ve received a tremendous amount of parenting advice over the last few months but I believe it was Dr. Hawking’s words that meant the most. He spoke from the heart, from his own experience, and most important of all, he most surely understood my need, not to be Super Mom, proving my ability to raise a child despite the barriers of a disability, but, rather, to be simply the best mom I can possibly be, raising a child, yes…in blissful normalcy, without regard to disability at all. It is these two experiences that I will remember above the others. Two simple exchanges that determined the transition from the meeting of Dr. Hawking, theoretical physicist, to the meeting of Stephen, my friend. I am forever grateful for the passage. Please click here for access to Dr. Hawking’s personal web site, courtesy of Cambridge University. (the link is http://www.hawking.org.uk) Please click here for access to The Stephen Hawking Pages, a web site featuring a vast amount of information on Dr. Hawking, including some of his most famous speeches and interviews. (the link is http://www.psyclops.com/hawking) |