Dale collet is a breath of fresh air

| Monday October 25, 2010 00:00

It is not every day that we are persuaded to appreciate the potential that each of us has and just how much we can achieve when we open ourselves to the myriad of possibilities waiting for us to tap into.

With only his thorax functional, Collet has defied all odds to have a life that many can only dream of.  This is a man who spent nights sleeping on a sofa in a factory office.  Eight years later, he is living a quality of life that many may never achieve.  The man refused to quit when he 'should' have.  He refused to believe that he was born to lead a miserable existence.  In short, he simply refused to be a failure because he believed that he came into this world to affect other people positively.  In that regard, the people he has hired have a story to tell about this miraculous man.  Collet's is the story told that there can be life after life-altering experiences.  It is people like Collet who help us look to the future because we have awakened to the fact that we can make a difference, not just in our own lives but also in the larger society.  If society were one big musical, Collet's would be the lead voice, urging us to take the cue and sing along. In the rendition, none is left behind, and there is neither discord nor disability.  We all sing to the best of our ability yet in concord.  Where a fellow singer's voice fades, the one next to him or her gets closer to the person to compensate for the missing notes.

Similarly, we can achieve much more by having a common purpose to develop one another and society at large. The police and the department of transport have demonstrated this spirit.  By allowing Collet to drive his vehicle when they could have refused him, as government bureaucracy is wonted, they made life worth living for him.

Dale Collet - that breath of fresh air - also teaches us that we should not always look to Government to improve our lives.  He shows us that the greater effort should come from us, no matter the circumstances.  Today, as the government grapples with poverty reduction for many of our people, we can hold each other's hand - those in wheelchairs, on crutches, the white cane wielders, young and old, men and women, black and white - and support each other to achieve beyond our wildest imaginations.  However, failure is guaranteed if we choose not to try.