Dinesh Palipana - Stronger

Over the years, a lot of friends have talked to me about writing this book: the story of my life and the things Ive learned as Ive lived it. Still, I always wondered whether it would be arrogant of me to think that anyone would want to read my story. One of my closest friends eventually said, I never read books, but I would read one about your life. Coming from a man who never reads, this made me think that maybe there was something to the idea. Maybe there was something worth sharing about this journey.

My journey has been first and foremost that just of a human being. I think that this is important, because Ive learned that labels dont matter. Our titles dont matter. They are artificial. Transient. Vulnerable to the whims of society. Social status can be fleeting. Worldly belongings arent forever. All can be lost in seconds, and I know this too well. What matters is our humanity what we do and who we are when all these things are taken away. Thats what can connect us most to the universe, ourselves, and our fellow humans. And, truth be told, we are connected in a way that transcends all of our differences. The butterfly effect. Six degrees of separation. Well, 6.6 according to some studies.

But if I had to use some labels, I would say that today Im a doctor in an emergency department. Its Australias busiest emergency department, in fact. Ive qualified as a lawyer, become a researcher in spinal cord injury and am proudly a disability advocate. Ive been told that I am most likely the first person in Australia, maybe even the world, to do this combination of things with my characteristics. I am a son to an awesome mother the best, in my opinion. I am the boyfriend of an amazing woman, one who is intelligent, beautiful and caring. I like music, mostly old rap. I like cars or, well, anything with an engine. I like to do things like paramotoring, jet boating, skydiving and anything else that might raise the heart rate. I like chocolate. I have a spinal cord injury with quadriplegia. Its probably this last bit that really makes my journey a little bit different from others.

Notwithstanding that, my journey still hasnt been linear. I was born in Sri Lanka. The country had a gross domestic product (GDP, which is the amount of finished goods and services made within a country) of about US$6 billion at the time. Although contentious, the GDP is sometimes touted as a measure of living standards and economic progress. At the age of 10, I moved to Australia, a country with nearly the same population as Sri Lanka but a GDP about 32 times greater. In geographical terms, Australia is 117 times bigger. Sri Lanka experienced a prolonged period of civil war, while Australians have had peace on home soil for a long time. Moving between the two countries was like moving between two different worlds.

Ive lived through depression, a spinal cord injury, and a series of things that have made life a roller-coaster ride. Has life been hard? No. I dont see it that way, mostly because I know that there are many in this world who have had a harder life. Im not the kid in Africa who walks miles to have a sip of water, not knowing what the world will bring them tomorrow. Im not the person with a disability stuck in a war zone, unable to escape the bombs, hoping that death will not come. Im not the one who never had an opportunity to learn to read. No, Im still the lucky one.

Im grateful for the journey Ive had so far. Its made me who I am. Even though I might not have always seen it at the time, the hard times have been ultimately good for me. After all, you cant make a sword without forging metal in a fire.

In telling you about my travels through these different experiences, there are just four main thoughts that I want to share with you. First, no matter how hard things get, its going to be okay. It has been for me. It will be for you.

Second, life doesnt have to be linear. Even if you want it to be, its probably not going to be. As Robert Burns said, the best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.

Third, a linear life is boring anyway. Isnt a squiggle more interesting than a straight line? Think of all the movies about ships. They are full of adventure. Would you prefer a story about the ship making an uneventful journey from one port to another, or one that must weather storms and even a mutiny? Come to think of it, I cant recall any celebrated story about an uneventful journey from one port to another.

Finally, as you experience all this, know that you are more resilient than you think. Believe that. Dont bow down. Make your life your life.

Here we are then. Im writing the stories which will hopefully convince you that these ideas hold true. Lets take a look through my life, where the me of today will tell you about the things I learned from the me of yesterday. If youre not convinced, thats okay at least my friend who doesnt read will have read a book.

Where do I start, though? Do I go through the obligatory early years? It feels like a boring thing to do for me, if not for you. I considered skipping ahead to more interesting parts. But another one of my closest friends said, No, you need to lay down the foundation first.

I suppose that the present makes a whole lot more sense when you understand the past. So, here it is. Ill start from the very beginning.