Monday, April 2, 2007

Twitch (Barbara Gordon trilogy I)

My favorite individual scene from a comic comes from Birds of Prey #85. At the end of the issue, Barbara Gordon's leg twitches.

A little explanation is probably in order. Barbara Gordon is paralyzed from the waist down.

Granted, there was some pseudo-scientific junk involved in the WHY, but the beauty of this scene is in what actually happens. The entire event could have been handled much less powerfully (and less believably), with Barbara jumping up and doing cartwheels or somesuch, but that is not what happened. Her leg twitched. That was enough. Both Barbara and those close to her celebrated the event. Often the little events in life are most significant. Barbara wasn't cured, but able to do something she couldn't earlier. Speaking as someone familiar with similar (but not quite as extreme) issues, that is many times all you can ask.

For example, a few weeks back I stood up in the middle of my living room. Big deal, right? The important thing though, is that I can't do that (usually I have to pull myself up using some sort of hand hold), yet I just up and did it one day. Of course, then I was standing in the middle of the room with no ability to go any place, but still. Small victories.

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