Haley Rudnicki-Smith
Mr.Link
EDUC-2530 (3)-005
March 6, 2014
Don't worry, He won't get far on foot
Book review
John Callahan's book, Don't worry, He won't get far on foot is an autobiography of how Callahan became and dealt with being a quadriplegic. It is a gripping story of how Callahan finds himself again after becoming paralyzed in his early twenties. Callahan humorously describes his journey of acceptance. Throughout this autobiography Callahan explains the struggles he went through which include; alcoholism,depression, and anxiety that eventually leads him to become a cartoonist. From explaining his alcoholism to his struggles with the American welfare system, Callahan's personal story reflects his struggle with acceptance of his new life which was being paralyzed and sober. Callahan's autobiography shows to any reader that one can accomplish any dream they have, despite disabilities. He shows humour can be found in the worse situations and to always look on the bright side of anything. Callahan's book clearly describes that with hard work and dedication anybody can get through a tough situation such as adapting to being a quadriplegic.
Callahan's autobiography begins with the day he became a quadriplegic. He explains his day of drinking in Buena Park, California. After a full day of drinking he got into a car with his friend Dexter who was also drunk. The car they were in crashed and Callahan even said he was too drunk to remember crashing (p.21).
After that he explains his upbringing, how his birth mom gave him up for adoption and was raised in a catholic household in Oregon (p.22-23). They were a family who went to church and the children went to catholic schools where nuns taught them until public high school (p.23). He talks about how he felt different because Callahan was the only adoptive child in the family and his five siblings looked completely different from him (p.26). Callahan goes on by describing when alcohol became a regular drink in his life at thirteen years old and how by drinking he felt as if he was even more isolated from his family then before (p.111). He talks about different jobs he had such as being an extra man at Martin Marietta Aluminum plant (p.52). Callahan was not hesitant to say the only reason he got the job was because his parents were friends with a head foreman who worked there (p.52). He realized many of the jobs he got was because his dad knew somebody in that business. Callahan said being an extra man helped keep his depression away, he was too busy to worry about depression (p.53).
Ever since waking up in the emergency ward at Long Beach Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles and learning he was paralyzed his life was changed (p.56). He could not drink while in the hospital or at Harbour General where he was transferred next. Throughout the different hospitals such as Rancho where he was rehabilitated Callahan describes his struggles to not only accept his fate of not being able to walk but also his struggle with alcoholism (p.68). He describes different people along the way who influenced his life and the direction he took. Such as Larry who even though was a paraplegic, did not let his disability control his life (p.84). Larry was the first person whom Callahan looked at and was hopeful about his own situation of being a quadriplegic. Larry did not let anything stop him, he had a wife, held hands with her normally and even rode escalators on his wheelchair (p.80). Callahan looked up to him only because he did not limit himself to what therapists said he could or could not do (p.80). Before Larry, Callahan was anxious and depressed about what was in store for him.
Callahan had different live- in attendants to aid him once he left Rancho. The last one he had was named Alex. He was also the last attendant who made Callahan want to stop drinking alcohol. He had been drinking since he was thirteen and finally at twenty-seven Callahan wanted to be sober (p.111). With help from a psychiatrist, Alcohol Anonymous and his sponsor named 'Donny (p.120)' he was able to live sober (p. 110).
Yet with sobriety came the need to find his birth mother. His psychiatrist encouraged him to try and find his birth mom because whenever he would ask about Callahan's biological family, Callahan would change the subject because of his anxiety (p.132). So by 1981 he began his search in Oregon (p.133) and his search was unsuccessful (p.143).
Moving to Portland was when Callahan started to focus on his comedic drawings (p.151). He liked drawing cartoons because it was natural to him (p.150). Callahan started submitting cartoons to different magazines like Penthouse who was the first to accept his work (p.163). His gags were funny yet simple, because they were not over done. Callahan wrote the least amount of words because his style of drawing was minimal.
Callahan's association with the welfare system was very frustrating. He would always try to cooperate with the system but it seemed like welfare was taking more money from him then he was able to make off his cartooning. The American welfare system under Reagan's administration messed many people around who actually needed the money like Callahan (p.179). Budget cuts to the welfare system by the American federal government meant Callahan's wheelchair was rarely ever fixed, only in an extreme emergency and only after he pestered welfare officials (p.179). Despite the welfare system unintentionally making him feel guilty for earning money from his cartoons, he continued to pursue his dream of being a cartoonist.
Callahan's book shows anything is possible whether your body has disabilities or exceptionalities. By explain his struggles through alcoholism and learning to live again via wheelchair it shows if he can get his life together so can others in a difficult situation like that. Personally, I can not understand being a quadriplegic since I can use both my legs, but when he explained anxiety I understood completely.
When I was younger certain situations made me anxious. Different situations were difficult for me, I believe the worst were social situations where I did not know anybody. I have a twin sister and we are good friends so those types of situations were rare. Social situations were not the only time I would be anxious. Usually, anyplace or anywhere I was uncertain of myself anxiety would set in, I never told anybody though, because when I was younger I never knew that was anxiety. I realize Callahan's anxiety came from a different place than mine. In my opinion anxiety is anxiety and if you believe everything will be okay, one can overcome it. That is one place in Callahan's life I understood, agreed with and sympathized with. Anxiety is not something to joke about yet the way he wrote about it was relatable and not insulting to someone dealing with it.
One thing this autobiography tells the reader is to reach for your dreams and never give up hope that you will achieve them. I completely agree with this notion. When Callahan wanted to be sober, through hard work and dedication he achieved that. Once he realized being a cartoonist was his dream job, he worked hard at it and became a cartoonist. John Callahan tells his reader hard work and dedication to a passion pays off in the long run, he shows this by example.
Any university student can relate to this. At some point a student wonders why he or she is even in university. We question our motives and if what we are studying will even be useful after school to find a job? Will we even like that job? It is depressing because a student studies something that they are passionate about yet because of stressful situations at school such as due dates for assignments students sometimes stop reaching for their dream job, because of it being too hard to achieve. Callahan shows that characteristic by explaining when he was younger he liked drawing a lot. He even states in his art class all he would do is draw and that his teacher encouraged him to do so (p.152). Yet when a student finally convinces him or herself school is worth it and that they are still passionate about what they are studying , despite due dates he or she gives one hundred percent of their effort once again to doing well, to achieve their dream job.
In Callahan's autobiography, despite road blocks along the way, he becomes a cartoonist. Even though he did not draw throughout the majority of his rehabilitation in different hospitals he still retained the love of drawing. His passion for drawing lead him to improving his techniques and eventually submitting cartoons to magazines to be published. Anybody can learn from his example, even if they do not have a disability. Once he realized he wanted to be a cartoonist he worked hard, practised and came out victorious on the other side. Is that not what we see in everyday life? On the news we hear of singers and actors working since they were young children to achieve their life dream. Just this past February, Olympic stories from Sochi, Russia told viewers of the hard work athletes put into their sport to be the best. One needs to realize Callahan's story is the same as theirs except his was later in life and he was a quadriplegic. All these people show that hard work and dedication pay off in the long run, which is something I remind myself in my everyday life.
This is a gripping story told in a dry humorous way. He shows that the majority of his fears and anxiety of others not accepting him( because he's a quadriplegic )were all for nothing. His autobiography is hope that everybody will be treated equally sometime soon because he wrote this in 1989 and it is 2014, hopefully improvements have been made. This book tells us for every one person who will not include a disabled person (he named one) there are many more who after the initial shock will accept them with open arms.
When Callahan started sending his cartoons to magazines he did not tell them he was a quadriplegic and when they found out they were shocked because over the phone he sounded like a normal, walking person (p.172). The fact that he did not think magazine editors needed to know of his disability speaks wonders. His story opened the eyes of a lot of people to how a quadriplegic and even an alcoholic lives their everyday life. Perhaps his book can help spread acceptance of disabled persons. He makes a compelling and convincing case that people like him are the same as anybody else and can function in society.
John Callahan's autobiography tells an amazing story of how somebody in a difficult situation can keep on living life. He contributed to his field immensely because not only can he make fun of himself through his cartoons, he also makes his readers take his book and by association his situation seriously. One should believe, many of his readers might understand a quadriplegics life more after reading his autobiography. I would recommend his book to anybody because he can inspire other people in his situation or others with disabilities to keep on believing that everything will be okay. Even if one is not disabled this book in my opinion just radiates hope and encouragement which is surprising. Surprising because from looking at the book cover it does not look like hope and encouragement would be in it, just a depressing story of a quadriplegic. I am glad I was wrong. John Callahan through not only this book but from his cartoons, inspires others in any situation to reach for their dreams and not stop till they are achieved. He effectively showed through his life story that despite disabilities or depressing times any dream, big or small is realistic and worth fighting for.
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