Ok, so quite some time ago (more than 10 years, less than 20) there was a party at some house in Tulsa. Well a fight ensued over the "last popsicle" in the freezer and some kid was shot because he took the last popsicle. SHOT OVER A POPSICLE! So anyway, I was reading the Tulsa world headlines from yesterday I think (I should check my e-mail more often) and there was a guy in OKC who was killed in a fight that started over a pack of cigarettes. I didn't read the arcticle, just the little blurb below the headline, but really, is something like popsicles and cigarettes worth the rest of yours and someone elses life?
"you must be a special kind of person to do what you do"
Yeah and you must be an exceptional idiot. Ok, I understand that some people just shouldn't work with individuals with disabilities due to many different reasons. One of which is total and complete ignorance. Guess what folks... you're not going to get what they have (unless ofcourse they have a cold or something like that). Autism is NOT contagious, Down Syndrome is NOT contagious, angelmans syndrome is NOT contagious, cerebral palsey is NOT contagious. I could go on, but you get what I mean. I am a job coach for individuals with disabilities and what they have is NOT contagious.
When I tell people what I do they always say "well you must be a special kind of person to do that" or something along those lines. My response is always "I enjoy it". What do you say to that? Do people really respond with"yeah, I am!"? At first the comment just made me uncomfortable, as I am no different than anybody else. I get frustrated, I don't know what to say in certain situations, I'm afraid of my own frickin shadow, how am I any different from those people who say that I'm a "special kind of person"? The major difference, I'm accepting... they arn't. If more people would see the folks I take care of more as humans and less as hinderances, this world would become a beautiful place. Oh yeah and guess what.... those folks that I take care of... they don't care if you accept them or not. They're world will continue turning even if you are afraid and ignorant. :-) thats what makes me feel great about my job.
FML
For those of you who arn't familiar with FML.com it stands for f**k my life. Crappy things happen to people so they decide to go online and post semi-anonamously (sp?) their issue and end it with FML. Thats STUPID! Is the fact that grandma got you teddy grahams instead of oreos really that much of an issue? And are you going to insist that your life sucks because your grandma doesn't know what afterschool snack you prefer. I see the majority of the FML posters to be between the ages 12 and 19 (if your between those ages, sorry) and female. And the most of them are probably kids from upper middle to upper class parents who have spoiled them their whole life. A guy I met a couple of years ago while "camping" is on my facebook. And when FML was starting to hit facebook he started his own called JML (Just my luck) to which he could use it positively or negatively. For example: I got an A on my mid-term! JML. Or Its raining on the same day of our company picnic at the zoo. JML. As opposed to FML which is not only completely negative, but very dramatically negative. The worlds not going to end if you realize "Mr. Right" isn't really Mr. Right. Sulk, cry and move on.
So those are my thoughts, as it is right now. If someone takes your last popsicle, your last pack of cigarettes or a rock that you are pretty sure was yours ask yourself is getting this upset over something so trivial worth chillin in jail (or worse) for the next 20 years to life? If you see someone with a disability, say hi, you may meet a new friend who doesn't care what kind of car you drive or what kind of job you have, just that you are willing to talk to them. And if you think FML after everything that happens in your life that isn't quite how you wanted it, I would recommend re-evaluating your principals and starting fresh with some that arn't so restricting.
No comments:
Post a Comment