If I still had my legs, I would be in line for a battalion command, and instead, I'm flying a desk.
Tammy DuckworthRead
The wheelchair and the prosthesis give me a soapbox to stand on. If it helps me get my message across, I'm glad; then we need to talk about what we need to do for this country.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of using one's experiences and challenges as a platform for advocacy and change.
Tammy Duckworth highlights how her experiences with disability through the use of a wheelchair and prosthesis serve as a platform from which she can voice her message. She expresses gratitude that her unique perspective can foster discussions about necessary actions for improving her country, thus portraying the power of personal challenges in driving social change and dialogue.
Themes
AdvocacyDisabilityChangeMessageCourage
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for disability rights, I could start with Duckworth's quote to emphasize the need for representation.
More from Tammy Duckworth
All quotes →It was the combination of hard work and a hand up that allowed me to become one of the first women to fly in combat missions and achieve my American Dream.
Tammy DuckworthRead
I went to Iraq in 2004 because I believe in doing my duty, not because I agreed with the war.
Tammy DuckworthRead
The women putting their lives at risk for our country deserve better than to be treated as second-class citizens.
Tammy DuckworthRead
As I recovered at Walter Reed, I worried about the soldiers who pulled me out of my helicopter that Friday afternoon. Would they make it back okay? And what about all the other soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who were also putting their lives on the line every day?
Tammy DuckworthRead
My experience in Iraq made me realize, and during the recovery, that I could have died. And I just had to do more with my life.
Tammy DuckworthRead
Similar quotes
I live my life like everyone else; everyone has their own obstacles. Mine is deafness.
Marlee MatlinRead
Nor is there wanting in the press Some spirit to stand simply forth, Heroic in it nakedness, Against the uttermost of earth. The tale of earth's unhonored things Sounds nobler there than 'neath the sun; And the mind whirls and the heart sings, And a shout greets the daring one.
Robert FrostRead
With the knowledge of her aloneness came a rush of self-declaration: “I will not be nothing.”
Robin MckinleyRead
Every human being on this planet has their pain and their heartache and it's up to all of us to find our way back to the light.
Diana NyadRead
I showed her how I'd been making tiny cuts in my skin to let the badness and the pain leak out. They were shallow at first, and short, like claw marks made by a desperate cat that wanted to hid under the front porch. Cutting pain was a different flavor of hurt. It made it easier not to think about having my body and my family and my life stolen, made it easier not to care.
Laurie Halse AndersonRead
On climbs, there is a general way we manage fear. We look at things objectively, separating out perceived risk from real risk. You can really bring down the level of fear by knowing the real risks and setting aside the others. You also know that panicking just makes things worse.
Jimmy ChinRead