Football or flying?

For a while I delivered car parts around Brisbane's south.
Most of the people I delivered to were rude, dismissive and surprisingly arrogant. One woman was different, she always had a smile and we'd chat a bit. On school holidays, the boss lets her bring her kids in and I'd try to say hello to them too. One day I could see she had been crying. Her son had a knee injury some time ago and she was told his limp was permanent. He was not a great scholar his main love was sports and now he is to be permanently sidelined.
When I went home, I dug out a couple of books and a DVD and took them on my run the next day. The boy was sitting a bit down hearted on a bench and I sat next to him and opened my book. I gave him his first look at a Spitfire, ( a truly beautiful aircraft) his eyes widened as I told him how fast it went, and wider when I showed him the eight guns and two cannon in the wings. The next picture was of a group of pilots next to another Spitfire. I said "Look at these men who flew Spitfires. This one was special. He was an Ace and a Wing Commander - a very high rank in the Air Force. He shot down lots of Nazi planes. See how he is standing funny?" I paused for effect.
"His name was Douglas Bader, and he had no legs!" His little jaw dropped. I gave him the other book, it was a compilation of Aviation heroes and the DVD - Reach For the Sky, The Douglas Bader Story.
His mother told me that he watched the DVD a few times over the weekend and now all he wants to do is fly.
My work there was done. I hope he doesn't find out for a long time that Bader was an arsehole who didn't deserve adulation. But a kid can have a hero can't he?