Guatemala to Goa on a Zimmerframe : Volume 1, Polio

By West, Jim, William

Book Id: WPLBN0004451099
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 21.59 MB
Reproduction Date: 11/12/2016

Title:	Guatemala to Goa on a Zimmerframe : Volume 1, Polio
Author:	West, Jim, William
Volume:	Volume 1, Polio
Language:	English
Subject:	Non Fiction, Bibliography, Humor
Collections:	Authors Community, Biographies
Historic Publication Date:	2016
Publisher:	Sherwood

Member Page:	Jim West
Citation APA MLA Chicago William West, B. J. (2016). Guatemala to Goa on a Zimmerframe : Volume 1, Polio. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Description
My improbable life, the early years. Polio, disability, crime, academic excellence, university. California 1968, LSD, police

Summary
In 1946, at the age of one, I contracted Polio. Suddenly, a world of infinite possibilities collapsed in upon me. Everything was now a struggle: breathing, lifting my arms, learning to walk. Nothing came easily. And the suffering wasn’t just physical. Gradually, I learned about rejection. The subtle, and not so subtle messages that society delivers to the weak and deformed. To protect myself, walls went up. This meant that in various ways I was also emotionally paralysed. Wasn’t a promising start, but nevertheless, my life has been remarkable. I played many sports with a vengeance, engaged in petty crime for years, excelled at school and University, bought, sold and consumed drugs. Crossed and re-crossed continents, eluding police from Mexico to India. At twenty-eight, I abruptly changed direction, and by doing so was able to help many others. Now, at the end of an event filled life, how do I feel towards the Polio virus which attacked that soft and innocent child those many years ago? Well, life hasn’t been easy, but it sure has been interesting. Perhaps I should thank that microbe for its blind Benevolence?

Excerpt
Lunch break, and Mr. McDonalds’s Physics lab is almost full, mostly girls, an’ definitely no teachers. I’m standing behind the front bench, a fish-tank on the right, my trusty assistant John on the left. Grabbing a large goldfish from the tank, I stuff it in my mouth, and swallow. It’s wiggly and a somewhat gritty, but down she goes. Just takes concentration, and a little practice. The girls start screaming. A few break for the door. When things settle down we all leave. Seems nobody’s too keen on lunch. The next day, McDonald puts a sign on the fish-tank. Please Do Not Eat The Fish Just a minute. What really happened here? Nope, there was no slight of hand. The fish truly did go down, albeit with difficulty. However, we’d prepared carefully. Several days before I had a test run, ate a few, and knew I could do it. John went ‘round the school taking bets. The money was more or less an admission fee. I wonder why so many girls, and did they get their 50 cents worth? Gotta smile just thinking about it. Bloody outrageous! By the way, why didn’t someone confront me? The story must have shot ‘round the school. Probably too bizarre. Anyway, who’s going to go after a mentally deranged, physically handicapped, top-level student. No way.

Table of Contents
Polio at age 1 Hospitals Mystical Insights Crime Eating Goldfish, Killing Robins University, LSD, California Attacking Police with Frisbee