Leah Villari

In Eli Clare's The Mountain, Clare talks about her life with cerebal palsy. She talks about her struggles and the things that enjoys. One of her hobbies is planning trips to climb mountains and trails with her friend. Her friend doesn't have a disablity and this poses to be a minor setback for Clare. Because of her disease she doesn't have alot of balance and her movements are not as sturdy and certain as a normal person's might. During her climb, she talks about how her muscles burn, calves ache and the fear that is inside her as her every step is uncertain. She also talks about her love for climbing and the fact that she can even walk is what drives her every day of her life. She talks about how she makes a list of people who can walk freely and would never have the desire or the willpower to want to climb a mountain like she does. Clare seems to really appreciate and love the fact that she can do what she loves, even if it means physically only being able to go half way.

In the episode of Glee that we watched, Arty is in a wheelchair. Mr. Schuster suggests they raise money for a special bus that Arty can be wheeled into it. At first the kids are hesitant and ignorant of Arty. But when Mr. Schuster makes everyone get in a wheelchair and experience what Arty deals with everyday, they realize that he deserves more respect then what they were giving him. When Arty confronts the girl that tells him she had faked a studder to relate to him, he is clearly hurt and makes it clear that at the end of the day he's still in a wheelchair. As it is for Clare, it must be frustrating to see people take for grant what they have. For people who can walk but choose not to appreciate this seems to be wasteful in this case. This relates to the Glee episode because I think the lesson the group learned from being in wheelchairs made them realize how grateful they should be.