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.