The peddels to the bike were stiff because of that cold morning 

Gears groaned as the wheels roatated, stuggling to find its rythem

I was behind my friends, 

but then again I was always behind my friends.

This morning was differend though.  I couldn't catch up.

Blame it on the bike. Blame it on the weather. Dont blame it on me. 

over the hill they went- me still struggling. 

How odd my friends backs looked, while raised above.  

They sat straight. They sat Tall. 

I could out run them, and had more endurance. 

Even so I still could not catch up. I knew why though.

Blame it on the Bike. Blame it on the weather. Dont blame it on me. 

I refused to get off my bike. I would make it up on my own. 

I was an athlet. But athlets like me did not have my disability. 

I made it. And my friends had gone on ahead. 

None were to be seen.

My focus went instead upon a little group of old men.

Clustered around the window display of a TV store watching

Just a glance was enough.

That one glance was enough. To change my life. And the way I saw myself.

I moved closer to the screen. 

The world went silent.

And a humming noise began in the back of my heart. 

A deep adrenaline rush of wonder and hope, 

of awe and joy.

I watched as the man-  who stood at 5'3 

spiked the ball passed blockers who were twice his height.

As he jumped to the net- 

and the sweat beeded down his neck- the muslces in his legs strained

for a second his knees bent, 

then pushing him into the air- as he stayed there and scored 

He came back to earth- and stood next to his team.

the smallest on the court yet the one people feared.

One of the old men looked down at me- 

with my forhead and hands preshed against the glass

the spark in my eye-

looked at my small frame, 

nodded at the screen and said

"God didn't give us wings, 

So we look for ways to fly."