ever changing variables

[Jonas]

If we were living in the stone age, I would have to agree that physical fitness would probably be the top "controllable" variable for survival. Even today, it's still better to be healthy than sick or debilitated. What we do have now, unlike Og and Ogette from cave-man times, is very effective "force multipliers" which allow those of us whose "physical fitness is not reasonable" (whatever the definition of "reasonable" is) to accomplish tasks without a great physical burden being placed upon us.

For instance, when Og or Ogette were hungry, Og had to hoist his club and tromp out of the cave looking for a stray mammoth. If he was fortunate enough to kill the beast, he then had to drag it back to the cave for Ogette to roast. Since there was no refrigeration or means of preserving meat, probably 75% of the edible meat would eventually spoil and rot. Today we have refrigeration, canning, and dehydrating techniques that allow us to shoot a deer (sorry, no wooly mammoths in East Texas), eat what we wish, and smoke, can or dry the rest of the meat for future consumption.

Nor are we limited in self-defense. In Og's day, any other caveman could attack him. His available weapons were his club and any rocks within reach. If Og wasn't strong enough to defeat his attacker, well... to the winner went the spoils (in this case, Ogette, the cave, and any tanned hides used for blankets). The loser went to the vultures - literally! Today, a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot allows anyone sitting in a wheelchair (and keeping a watchful eye) to defend his cave ...err ...home with very effective lethal force. The shotgun is a "force multiplier", the user needs only to be able to hold it, point it, and pull the trigger. There's an old saying here in Texas: "God made men, Sam Colt made them equal!"

As Og's and Ogette's family grew, communications became another consideration. Could Og call his oldest son for help if needed? Only if Ug (Og's oldest son - it's a family name) was in earshot of his father. Today we have CB and ham radios which, with good atmospheric propagation conditions and a battery or solar panel, will send a signal for help from several miles to halfway around the earth. Here's another "force multiplier".

Cars and trucks are also "force multipliers" in that even people confined to wheelchairs can travel at 60+ mph moving several tons of goods as they escape approaching threats. Undoubtedly, any regular reader here at SUK can probably think of dozens if not hundreds more of these "force multipliers" which tend to level the playing field for those with physical disabilities.

My whole point is simply that today, information and cunning will always beat brute strength...