In LOVE with Humanity

Hero #073: Helen Keller
Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was
the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, and proved to the world that
deaf people could all learn to communicate and thrive in the hearing world. She also taught
that deaf people are even capable of doing things that supposedly only hearing people can
do, as she was able to enjoy music by feeling the beat, and was able to have a strong
connection with animals through her sense of touch … Determined to communicate with
others as conventionally as possible, Keller actually learned to vocalize her words, and spent
much of her life giving speeches and lectures on aspects of her life – doing so in 25 different
countries. She also learned to ―hear‖ others‘ words by reading their lips with her hands, and
became proficient at using braille and reading sign language with her hands.
A prolific writer, Keller was well-traveled and outspoken in her convictions. A member
of the Socialist Party of America and the Industrial Workers of the World, she actively and
courageously campaigned for women's suffrage, labor rights, fertility rights, antimilitarism,
and a host of other similar causes – including and especially the rights of the disabled. In
1920, she also helped to found the American Civil Liberties Union … In closing, even
though Helen Keller was delayed in picking up language, it is an extreme understatement to
say that this did not stop her from having both a beautiful & a powerful voice.
―I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish
small tasks as if they were great and noble … Life is either a daring adventure or
nothing at all … Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming
of it … Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not
attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose … So be of
good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow.
You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you
will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain
something beautiful is ever lost.‖ ~ via Helen Keller
87