A story about choices people make

[Retribution]

Quoted from Retribution.

If I understand you correctly, you are saying something about people trying to lessen the difference between retarded and non-retarded people. Sorry for being blunt, but there is no way to fully connect with someone who is truly mentally retarded. I can't even connect with stupid people, much less retarded people. I probably sound heartless, but it's the truth.

 

Stupidity itself is a relative, subjective judgement placed by one person upon another.

 

There is less difference than many able minded people would like to admit to.

 

The word 'retarded' is archaic, offensive and prejudiced. It has been replaced by the term 'handicapped' for good reasons.

 

Mentally handicapped people are not equal to 'very stupid people' as you seem to believe from your words.

 

You do not sound 'heartless' but I suggest you try to be more open minded.

 

It is not the 'truth' but your perception of what is the truth.

When I said stupid, I meant stupid. Stupid is not relative, there are plenty of stupid people. As for retarded,

 

Delayed in development.

Of a person, having mental retardation.

 

Retarded is a real word, it's not prejudiced, offensive, politically incorrect, or anything of the sort. Next you'll say retarded people are "otherly-abled".

[LHammonds]

That reminds me of the saying "You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid" but please stop going down this road, it is detracting from the point of this topic.

 

LHammonds

[slygothmog]

That reminds me of the saying "You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid" but please stop going down this road, it is detracting from the point of this topic.

 

LHammonds

 

Yes, this is correct.

 

I do not have much experience with the handicapped, but if i may i would like to share something with you.

When i was 18 i used to go to a friends house every weekend when the formula 1 season was being shown on tv, if it was a nice sunny day we would take food and have a BBQ, it was at these social gatherings that i met my friends niece, she was severly handicapped in body, but not in mind.

It was my first experience with meeting a handicapped person, and i will admit it threw me a little, but i soon learned and treated her as i would every one else that i meet, i did not expect her to be able to adapt to me, so i adapted myself to her, same as all the people i meet in this world.

Do you know what happend? She developed a crush on me ( silly girl ), she died a year after i met her, but she is still in my mind.

[Maharg67]

I think that the story was amazing, that it showed how a whole group could become tuned to the special needs of one individual so much that they would alter the dynamics of a group activity (in this case the baseball game) so as to make this one individual have a special moment that would have a positive effect on his whole life.

 

It is heartening and hopeful.

[eXoduis]

Agreed with maharg.. lets keep it at opinions shall we?

[documentMJ]

Whoa! Why are you analizing the story in so much detail. It's supposed to make you realise that the choices you make in life, may seem unimportant to you, but they might be life altering to another. Try to be the optimist, or you'll not survive in this world.

[grannywils]

I have read this story before and found it to be very heartwarming. Now, after reading very carefully through everyone's posts I'm trying to put my thoughts into perspective. At first I thought that I was outraged at Vagrant0 and Retribution; but I kept reading and began to understand them both a little better, and I do not necessarily disagree with everything they say, perhaps just their lack of subjective emotion.

 

And then I found that NetWit2008 was hitting it right on the head (reading my thoughts???) with some of her/his responses). For example, "So in the grand scheme of things, will he have harder, larger, uglier obstacles to overcome? Maybe, most do. But did he gain a new skill that day that in the future may help him break a barrier and do something else he may never have ever considered within his grasp to do? Quite possibly. I've seen it happen that way with all kinds of obstacles, mental/physical disability, racial, cultural, religious, et.al. barriers.

 

In our own way we all have a tough row to hoe, but sometimes that one act of kindness, kismet, call it whatever, can open the door to new skills and learning we never thought possible. That's the beauty of the story to me." I'll add that adversity does make us stronger, but knowing occasionally that we can accomplish something with a little help from our friends also goes a long way.

 

LHammonds is asking us all to do at least one act of kindness everyday that does not really benefit ourselves. And for me that is really more what this story should be about. Not so much about the fact that this boy was handicapped. I believe that we all need to take more time treating each other as human beings and being kinder to one another. Someone said that the kids would not have behaved that way if Shay was not handicapped and was just "shy" or something; and that is true. But it should not have to be true. We need to think about how we treat each other and at least stop and think before we react. It is not so hard to do. An act of kindness can be fairly simple and a whole lot easier than some of the things that some of us grew up with and that the children in LHammond's home grew up with. I could go on and on, but I think I'll stop for now and give someone else a chance.

[Fifoo]

Agreed with you, grannywils. And your way of seeing the topic, with all hindsight that it deserve, is truly valid. Perhaps it would be good to precise that I wasn't personally outraged by the quotes of Vagrant0 and Retribution, as we all have our own holes in and thoughts about the way we may and should act.

 

Of course we have - fortunately - some various point of vues to subscribe to each other and that's food for thought in a good debate. The finality here is to be able to understand each other and - why not - eventually attempt to know better one another and to help one another... :happy:

 

We need to think about how we treat each other and at least stop and think before we react.

We could find three behavior patterns of people, those who are selfish and egocentric (some of them have mostly no materials hurdles in their everyday life), those who are uninterested (for numerous causes or some reason), and those who are selfless, open to other ones and give help to each other. All is a question about our choices in daily life, our deeper motives, and what we want to share.

 

Let me conclude by this saying I cherish, making it my daily bread to the best I can: "No one has more need of a smile that which has none to offer." - Chinese Proverb.