D... is for Disability

I've travelled a lot around India, and if you have any idea of India, then you'll believe me when I say, very little surprises me. One of the most stark things that stared me in the face when I came to Scotland was, disability. So many people, both young and old, rich and poor, native and foreign origin, seemed to be disabled. What on earth was going on? And why? I wondered for a few weeks... I thought on the lines of genetic factors, social and environmental factors, and various other things before the answer hit me.
It wasn't at all that more people were disabled here; it was that I ran into more disabled people, because they were out and about. They were in buses, on the streets, in the supermarkets, at cafes. They were in castles and cathedrals, shops and cinemas, and they were leading normal lives. This realisation was a harsh one... for in India, the disabled are hidden away and cloistered, most building still don't have access for disabled people...
I like that the Government here helps people. It is kind. It is on the rest of us.
I took this picture on a bus, by stealth, because he looked like a pukka Scot, had quite a fiesty personality :)
and was on a motorised wheelchair (which went vroom vroom!). He nodded off to sleep, the darling man...

Update: I have since found out that this is Tom Gilzean, do read about him here. What a man!

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This post is part of the ongoing A-to-Z Challenge. Previously, Aye, Berwick, Cramond.

H

H is for 'Humbert'.
I, for one, have a very different opinion of Lolita (read about it here). I hate Humbert too, not that I don't. But, I don't think he's gross. I mean, come on, Lola was a child, but she wasn't immature. She wasn't traumatised either. I am against abuse, but Humbert truly loved her. And love can never be limited by age. Sigh!
I have re-read Lolita twice, just to hate him like most other readers do, I have failed.

Lolita & Humbert (from the 1962 movie)

If you are reading this and haven't read the book, you should. This kind of novel is not written too often and Nabokov has worked true magic here. I Hate him, I don't Hate him too.

A

A is for 'Atticus'. 
If you've read Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird', you'll know for sure who I'm talking about. Atticus is a fictional character, a lawyer in a small town of Alabama. He defends a black man who is accused of raping a white girl. In the process, his kids, Scout and Jem, are subjected to much ridicule and insult by the community, close-knit and rascist. The black is convicted and unpleasant incidents follow. The book is notmeant to be a balm, it is a strong voice of protest against injustice. But, the character of Atticus is strong, upright, 'one-shot', and enigmatic.
The novel won a 'Pulitzer'. Book Magazine's list The 100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900 lists Atticus Finch as the 7th best fictional character of the 20th Century and his portayal by Gregory Peck in the movie is supposed to be 'the greatest hero in american film.'
This book is a must read for all sections of society in all lands. It is a modern day tale of the eternal fight of the commoner for justice, and the fight of good against evil. Social workers, lawyers, human rights activists have all drawn immense inspiration from Atticus, and on a personal level, so have I.

From the movie, Atticus with daughter Scout.

PS: This is the first post for the A-to-Z April Challenge, yay! (http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/)