A Life in Rippledom

The Oxford Dictionary tells us the word defines cripple as a person or animal with a physical disability, particularly one who is unable to walk. Today the word is still used in mainstream English language, such as “he was out to cripple him with that tackle,” or maybe an industrial strike is crippling the economy. So yes, context is everything.

In the context of my life, being a cripple and living in my fantasy place called Rippledom is perfectly correct. someone telling a similar story in twenty or thirty years after me will have their own name for the parallel life they live. I’m sure it will become clearer to describe Rippledom as the story unfolds.

The way we describe disabled people and disability since I was a child has changed significantly for the better. The word cripple was as PC as it got In the 1960s and 1970s when I was growing up. Now, the UK government has a whole webpage on the subject of describing disability, they suggest avoiding the use of the word disabled at all, then in the next paragraph suggest using the word disabled rather than handicapped. But, I am a child of my times, as are many of my disabled friends, so I’m not so sure a modern alternative to the word Rippledom would work as well.

I'm 70+ now, and many polio survivors don't get this chance in life. It might have been even easier if a bout of sepsis four years ago hadn't affercted my mobility, but overall I'm quite happy with my lot. As the book will tell, I've done a lot with what I have, and I still have plans for the future. I'm sure you'll excuse a few rants along the way, but mostly I hope you'll enjoy seeing inside my alternative life.

£20.00 plus postage via PayPal to philipjtaylor@live.co.uk

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