I sometimes get in the mood to do some extraneous thinking and creating of intellectual dilemmas for which to find answers. It’s less stressful than ranting and my intellectual side (when it surfaces) never fails to impress me.

Today was one of those mood days in which I found myself thinking about prehensility and disability. Prehensility? You know- the ability of a body part to grasp or hold things. Some monkeys not only have prehensile hands but also feet and tails. Giraffes have prehensile tongues. Elephants have prehensile trunks. I’m talking about native prehensility and not a skill that was relearned out of necessity.

Alas, humans have only hands for such purposes. Except of course for those very few people who still have some ability to use their feet for grasp. We all know people who can do amazing and useful things like picking up a dime with their toes or being able to play a hand of poker with their feet, or even being able to use a fork or spoon with their feet.

My dilemma is thus- Am I considered disabled because I can not multitask a hand of poker and a four course meal at the same time using hands and feet? Obviously my functional level is greatly diminished (by comparison) and I am unable to do what others can do naturally and without technical or human assistance. That was a quick and easy conclusion not worthy of stimulating any of my dormant brain cells.

For the sake of my own intellectual satisfaction, I offer a much more refined concept based on your own personal beliefs.

For those who believe in evolution-
A trade-up, from prehensile feet to the much more fully developed and advanced “ability” to stand upright, walk, and maintain balance. Having all of the latest evolutionary options I would rank as being super-abilized. Some of my critics might disagree with my high rating but none of them are named Darwin. My less evolved pal who is sitting there playing foot poker while knitting a sweater is actually the one with the disability.

For those with more conservative views-
I was created without prehensile feet for some purpose unknown to me. Others were created having this increased “ability” or advantage. Lacking full functional ability I would be considered disabled or at best disadvantaged. I guess you just have to take the hand or foot that was dealt you and make the best of it.

For those who suffer from self inflicted ignorance-
They don’t care what I am as long as I look and act like them and as long as I am not contagious.

Lack of a conclusion by way of raising more questions-
How real are perceptions on ability and disability? How much is based on misperception and misinformation. Might attitude and prejudice be the greatest disability?