More Than a Picasso
I was 18 years old―― determined it was time to spread my wings， to set out on my own， to get my own place.
So， this particular art show was more fun than most. I looked around through my most critical eye for just the right piece to put in the new apartment I was going to rent.
Many of the pieces I saw were beautiful， but far too expensive for someone with more dreams than money. However， one picture caught my eye. It was a bright yellow sun in a faded1 red frame2――fairly abstract3， more cartoon than art. A face was painted on the sun…… blue eyes， big red mouth， turned upwards in a smile. It was happy， and looking at it made me happy.
A name was scrawled4 in the bottom left corner. Billy Williams.
Stepping back a little to study it further， I told myself I'd never spend money on a painting like that， because after all， I could paint one just like it if I really wanted one. There didn't seem to be a lot of artistic talent， and in fact， it looked like a child had done it. If a child could do something that caught my attention， I could do the same thing， only better！
Yeah. That's what I' do. I' paint my own sun picture！
As I began to move away from the booth5， something caught my ear. Was someone talking to me？ I didn't see anyone.
I stopped and looked at the picture again. This time， I saw a fellow in a wheelchair trying to get my attention.
" Like it？" I thought I heard him ask.
It was hard for me to hear him. The tent was crowded and very loud. I moved closer to him.
" Do I like it？ Yes， I really do， but……"
He started talking again， but it was hard for me to understand him. He talked very softly and slowly， drawing his words out to the point where my mind had a hard time following them.
" I liiiiike to paaaaaint，" he said.
" Really？" I asked， noticing for the first time that there were many other paintings in his booth.
" I like your paintings very much." I continued. " How do you come up with6 so many things to paint？"
" It's eeeeasy." he replied. " Aaaanyone can dooooo it. All youuu have to dooooo is get an ideeeeea in your heeeead， deciiiiide what you waaant to do， and dooooo it."
He then shared with me how he had painted the sun picture. The entire conversation took about 15 minutes. Fifteen painful minutes. As he struggled to get the words out and I struggled to understand them， I learned a lesson I have never forgotten.
" How much for this painting？" I asked.
" Fiiiiive dollaaaaars，" was the reply.
I gave him the＄5， put my prize7 under my arm， and left.
It had taken Billy Williams 15 painful minutes to teach me a lesson I've kept close to my heart for the following 28 years. This awkward-looking young man， hands gnarled8， legs twisted， tongue thick9， had broken the code10 on a part of life I hadn't even known existed.
The man who made one of the greatest impacts on my life is someone who will never know it. I've never seen him again.
He would never be able to overcome his physical challenges， but he had learned to deal with them. He had learned that doing what he wanted to do was simply a matter of getting an idea， deciding what he wanted the outcome to look like， and making it happen.
He said anyone could do it. He was right
我18岁了――该是我展翅高飞的时候了，自己外出闯荡，构筑自己的窝。
所以对我来说参观这个画展就有了更重要的意义。我用我那双非常挑剔的眼睛四周张望，想找一张合适的画挂在我将要租的新公寓里。
我看到的许多作品都是美丽的，但对于我这么一个梦想多于金钱的人来说，它们实在是太贵了。但是，有一幅画引起了我的注意。那是一轮明亮黄色的太阳嵌在一个褪了色的红框子里――相当抽象，更像是卡通画而非艺术品。太阳上画了一张脸……蓝眼睛，大红嘴，嘴角上翘露出笑意。这画是欢快的，看着它一种快乐的感觉在我心中油然而生。
画的左下角有画家潦草的签名。比利・威廉斯。
我后退一步再来好好端详这幅画，我想我绝不会花钱买这样一幅画，因为毕竟如果我真想要这么一幅画的话，我自己就可以画嘛。那画也没显出多少艺术天赋， 事实上，它看上去像是小孩子画的。如果一个小孩子画的东西就能吸引我的注意力，那我自己也能画，而且只会画得更好。
是的，就这么办了。我来画我自己的太阳画！
正当我准备离开那间展棚时，有一个声音引起我的注意。有人在跟我说话吗？但周围并没有人。
我停下来又看了看那幅画。这次，我看见一个坐在轮椅上的人在努力引起我的注意。
"喜欢吗？"我想他是在问我。
听他说话不大容易。展棚里又拥挤又喧闹。我向他靠近一步。
"我喜不喜欢？是的。我真是很喜欢，但是……"
他又开始说话了，但我真是难以听懂他在说些什么。他轻声细语的，而且说得很慢，我竖起耳朵，吃力地试着听懂他慢慢吐出来的每一个字。
"我喜……欢画画……画，"他说。
"真的？"我问，第一次注意到他的展棚里还有许多其他作品。
"我非常喜欢你的画。"我接着说。"你怎么有这么多东西可画呢？"
"容……容……易。"他回答。"任……任何人都可以做……做得到。你……所要做……的只是脑……子里先要有一个想……法，决……定你要……做什么，然后动手去做。"
然后他告诉我他是怎么画这幅太阳画的。整个交谈持续了大概15分钟。痛苦的15分钟。他费力说出每一个字，我则努力地设法听懂他说出的每一个字，这是我终生难忘的一堂课。
"这幅画多少钱？"我问。
"5……美元，"他回答。
我给他5美元，把觅得的珍品夹在腋下，离开了展棚。
比利・威廉斯花了痛苦的15分钟给我上的那一课，我在之后的28年里一直牢记在心。这位年轻人其貌不扬，四技扭曲，说话结巴，却破译了我生命中某一部分的密码，而在这之前我甚至不知道它的存在！
给我带来如此深远影响的这个人永远不会知道这一切。我以后再也没见过他。
他永远无法克服他身体残疾的障碍，但他已学会如何应付它们。他知道，做他想要做的，不过是先要有个想法，在脑子中绘出最终成品，然后动手去画。
他说任何人都能做得到。他说得对。
注释：
1.faded adj.褪了色的
2.frame n.画框
3.abstract adj.抽象的
4.scrawl vi.潦草地写，涂写
5.booth n.（隔开的）小房间，展棚
6.come up with想出，提供，提出
7.prize n.珍品，（值得）追求的东西
8.gnarled adj.扭曲的，拗弯的
9.thick adj.口齿不清的，（音）浊的
10.break the code破译密码
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