Normal

Last week, something occurred to me. I was talking to my friend who was interested in volunteering for Special Gifts in the future. I was explaining to her what the role of a mentor is. I explained how as a mentor, you stay with one buddy and help them with their lines, singing, and dancing. She then asked me a question, which took me a minute to answer. Does it ever get awkward, like how they’re not normal and all? Immediately I thought to myself, you did not just ask that. Not that the question was bad, but the way my friend had phrased it. Normal. Everyone at Special Gifts and beyond is unique in their own way.

To answer her question, lots of normal things happen while at Special Gifts. It doesn’t matter how many things a person can be diagnosed with, they can still have just as much of a “normal” time as someone like me.

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I went on to tell my friend about a conversation my buddy, Billy and I had last week. Billy was getting on his scooter from at the end of a hallway that has a few stairs and a downhill to get back to the classroom. He started pushing with his legs and was going pretty fast. Being the cautious person that I am, I told him to slow down. He asked me why. I said I didn’t want him to fall and hurt himself. This, for whatever reason, made Billy laugh really hard. I asked him if he’s ever fallen before, knowing the answer was yes. He told me he never falls. I called him a liar and was joking with him. He was laughing very hard and started pointing fingers at me and calling me a liar!

It’s times like these where I take a minute to reflect. I’ve definitely had conversations like these with my friends and family before, which by most are considered “normal”. Despite Billy’s Cerebral Palsy, things between us are just like any other friendship someone might have. Of course things can get awkward at times, but it doesn’t stop us from having a great time together. This environment, if anything, has a more normal bond going on between friends. Just because the kids that participate aren’t as highly functioning as most people doesn’t mean they can’t have great experiences like everyone else.

Just Like Me

Foreword: For this post, I decided to share a piece I wrote for my English class last year. I think it really shows a lesson that's hard to teach. This is my reality of being a member of Special Gifts and just how much I get out of being a part of it.

I see them all the time; those kids who need some extra help to get around. Kids the same age as my friends and I, stuck in the body of someone with limited movements. How awful life must be for them, I used to think. My friend Billy changed all of that.

Billy is twelve and loves music and movies. We have a lot in common. Both Billy and I love Justin Bieber and can’t stop talking about the Hakuna Matata scene in “Lion King”. Billy and I both like asking questions and have a sense of humor. He’s just like me, on the inside.

Billy doesn’t look like all the friends I have.  He has Cerebral Palsy, which causes him to lack the ability of walking, so he uses a scooter. Also, sometimes when he talks it’s a bit slurred. No matter, he won’t stop asking the same questions repeatedly until you understand exactly what he’s saying. Billy is determined, just like me. Billy and I are best friends, even though he looks different than me.

If it weren’t for Billy, I would still be like my old self, just assuming people with disabilities can’t lead a normal life. But after getting to know him, I realized that we do have a lot in common, despite our physical differences. Billy has changed my mindset of judging others based on appearances, something that is hard to teach. Even though we look and sound a lot different, Billy and I can still hang out and have lots of laughs, just like normal friends. After all, that is what we are. Two typical best friends.

That Special Connection

Notice: Names were changed for privacy reasons.

As mentioned in a previous post, my buddy’s part in the play "Grease" is Stevie the T-bird. What I failed to mention earlier is what part my buddy plays everyday. “Billy”, my buddy is a twelve year old who loves Justin Bieber and iPhones. Billy also has Cerebral Palsy, which means he can’t quite function the same as someone like me. For instance, he gets around by sitting on a scooter and pushing with his legs.

Nonetheless, Billy and I have very similar personalities and both love to listen to music and watch movies. Another thing about Billy is that he is a triplet. As a member of the Special Gifts community, I only know one of Billy’s siblings, “Joe”, because he also has Cerebral Palsy and works in the same classroom as me. In fact, last year I mentored him.

            The two boys together share such a special bond between each other. Sometimes it can be hard to understand what either one is saying, but the two of them can always figure out what the other one is trying to say. It really is a privilege to work with Billy because he allows me to appreciate the special bond two people can share and what an impact it has on those around them.

(Joe on left, Billy on right. Taken from last year's performance of "Honk! Jr.")

(Joe on left, Billy on right. Taken from last year's performance of "Honk! Jr.")

            One of these moments happened last Tuesday. While practicing our lines in the classroom, it was noticed that one of Billy’s lines is a reaction to something his brother said and makes fun of him. Joe’s mentor and I thought it would be a good idea for them to practice these specific lines with one another. After the joke was said, both boys couldn’t help but burst out into laughter, slapping their knees in hysterics. Seeing this reaction instantly put a smile to my face. It made me think about how often I spend worrying about what’s wrong in my life instead of focusing on what’s right. Billy is always a happy person and his smile is truly contagious. I wish I had the connection Billy and Joe share with more people in my life. 

Role Announcements

     For every exciting year at Special Gifts Theatre, there comes one day that really stands out. This day passed by not too long ago. Role announcements. All of the teachers of the three classes really try to make this day really exciting and fun for everyone. Each class will have some sort of theme to it that relates the play being put on. With this year being Grease, my class had a pep rally for everyone to hear what part they would be playing. We all spent time making signs that said things like, "Go Rydell!" or "Rockin' Rydells Rock!". Everyone in the room was very anxious to find out what part they would be getting.

     Finally the time came where everyone would find out their parts. The way the class had it set up was each buddy was to enter, coming through a row of fellow classmates cheering, and break a hula hoop covered in wrapping paper with their fist, just like the football players would break though paper before the big game. My buddy was called first to the hallway.
     We went outside together and he was very anxious to find out his part. The class counted down from five and a song from the play started playing. Before I knew it he was flying down the alley, his mind set on the hula hoop. All of sudden, he bursts his head straight through the hula hoop. The whole class started laughing hysterically, as well as my buddy. It wasn't made clear to him that he was supposed to break the paper with his hand. Nonetheless, the whole class got a good laugh out of it.
     It turned out that my buddy's part was Stevie, a T-bird. After all had settled down, he could not stop smiling. That satisfaction of getting the part he wanted really meant the world to him.
     Although we tend to overlook the small things in life, that small thing may mean something much more to someone else. No one really thinks twice about things anymore, yet the next week my buddy came back and his part was all he could talk about. I knew this year was off to a good start.