Wednesday. Fandango’s Provocative Question once again. This week, he asks:

Assume you are a real-life superhero. What is your super power? What is the largest obstacle to using your super power?

I’ve got news for you, buddy. I don’t need to assume. I am a super hero. Every survivor of a stroke is.

Among my super powers are:

• learning to walk again, after I couldn’t get off my bed for most of the time in hospital. I had to rely on two nurses to support me every time I needed a pee. Last year I walked a mile;
• and, learning to use my hand again, even if just as a club. If I put my mind to it (and act quickly), I can lift my hand to flick a chest-high lightswitch. I’ve even managed to use it as a barricade, to stop a piece of bread from falling off the counter as I try to butter it;
• and, by implication, learning to type one-handed and interact with people via the web;
• and, I’ve sharpened up my work skills to the point I was at before. I’ve yet to find paid work, though.

It is typical that a survivor looks for workarounds to things that they can’t do. Often it is silly little things, for example opening a jar. I’ve worked out workarounds for lots of things over the years.

So while you might do less, you actually think a lot more. That’s not always a good thing, though. I can feel myself steadily becoming a grumpy old man, just because the older I get, the more I realise is bad about the world. My time is running out, but there is still so much work to do to improve things.

Bet that wasn’t the answer you were expecting.