Not a kumbaya moment. But I'm struck by an ever-deepening jadedness toward struggles faced by different populations in our world. In life I see a dominant culture reluctant to acknowledge the realities of a group's struggle unless it's somehow expediant.

Take disability. People may seem reluctant or uncomfortable with the concept of acknowledging people within the congenital deformity or disability limited/reduced ability communities as equals until they or their loved ones experience something that places them solidly in such a category. And, life is fragile. A diagnosis or an accident is all it takes to land there, with all the financial and logistical hardships that can follow.

Take domestic abuse or violence against a person or harassment by police as other examples. There can be a disbelief that accompanies distance from or ignorance of what victims of such folks face. But a prevailing cultural message about such phenomena is that the victims are somehow to blame.

So often our historic imaginings of the 21st century have comprised personal spaceships, medical breakthroughs that eradicate cancers and other plagues or the end to international conflicts. Maybe the real breakthrough that must precede such sweeping advances is the ability to unflinchingly, courageously give respect and empathy to the next person -- for it is impossible to predict how quickly we might be in that person's shoes.

Happy New Year, Org.

In another person's shoes....

[Edited 1/1/12 10:21am]

Cerebus said:

In another person's shoes....

[Edited 1/1/12 10:21am]

That fish has it coming.

Wise words...thanks for posting.

I must confess.... I am guilty.

You see, as a young child I was pretty sickly and frail... I was always in the hospital. It was my second home and the place were I went to get fattened up and placed off the "mal-nutritioned" status since I would vomit everything I ate because I had bad asthma.

One day while in the hospital's cafeteria (finally able to go home after a two week stay), my mom bought me a tuna sandwich from the vending machine. I sat down smiling ready for my lunch and began eating since I was hungry. I enjoyed my sandwich until a another mother saw fit to sit her child right across from me at the same table.

Her child had Down's Syndrome. She had a flat face and head and had a constant streaming string of drool that spilled from her bottom lip. I really tried to be polite as to not offend her and not lurch at the drool. The girl was twice my size with man hands, one blow and I would certainly be re-admitted due to a concussion by one strike of her fist... heck, even a dislocated eyeball.

So I sat there, feeling helpless and grossed out as she slopped on her sandwhich and she would try to speak and chunks of her spitty tuna flew at me. She chewed with her mouth wide open and I saw her food toss around her mouth like clothes in a dryer. I began to cry because my mom grew impatient and told me to eat my food. My stomach turned and I could not take another bite.

With a slap across my head I was pulled by my arm to the trash barrel all the while my mother scolded me on not asking for food when I was not hungry. She was not aware that I was horribly grossed out by the spitty drooler.

Since then when ever I see any person with Down's Syndrome ... I think of the drooling child who grossed me out all those years ago. I can not eat. My stomache does flips flops and I have to turn away.

This year I resovle to be more empathetic towards people with Down's Syndrome, spend time with them perhaps if a situation arises, and hopefully then I can lose some weight.

OK, I'm not sure whether your reaction isn't partially borne out of trauma, but I hope your fulfilling that resolution brings you to a new place of peace.

Yeah, I think so... but regardless I say Amen and TY. I wish the same for you this year.

paintedlady said:

Yeah, I think so... but regardless I say Amen and TY. I wish the same for you this year.

Thanks, love.