A few weekends ago, I caught a nasty cold and lost my voice. I was hoarse on Sunday morning and so attached to the tissue box, going to church was out of the question. Which explains why I happened to be listening to Krista Tippet’s public radio show On Being instead of listening to our pastor’s sermon.
Meet Kevin Kling
I was bummed about missing church and not too excited about the radio show until Kevin Kling’s familiar voice came on. He’s one of my favorite storytellers with his irrepressible humor and his heavy Minnesota accent. His stories radiate childlike joy and wonder, but I couldn’t figure out why he was on the show. So I kept listening.
Kevin Kling and Disability
Turns out, Kevin Kling was born with a one arm shorter than the other. That didn’t slow him down, but a terrible motorcycle accident in 2002 did. He recovered from the accident after nearly dying (he had an after death experience), but his good arm was paralyzed. His perspective on life changed.
Kevin Kling’s Perspective on Life
Kevin Kling still writes, performs, and laughs. But his accident, his near death experience, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) changed his perspective. In the interview, he shares how he’s changed, what he’s learned, and why he still laughs more than he cries. To listen to the interview go to the On Loss and Laughter link at On Being. Right below the picture, click on “listen now.”
Just to be clear, I’m not endorsing Kling’s theology. He doesn’t explain it fully enough in the interview for anyone to do that, and I haven’t read his books to explore them further. But he has some very profound insights about disability, grief, loss, and laughter that deeply resonated with me.
Have a Listen and Come Back
After you listen to the program, come on back and leave a comment. What resonated with you? What surprised you? What made you laugh? What made you see disability differently than you saw it before? I’m eager to hear what you have to say.
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