Thursday, February 23, 2012

Links

If you are friends with my Mom on Facebook you will see that she keeps posting all these links to stories about kids with Down syndrome.  It's kind of annoying.  Yeah, yeah, Mom.  We get it.  Kids with Down syndrome can do everything that every other kid can do.  But I guess I will let it go for now because she explained it to me like this,

"Cooper, when I was growing up, you never saw kids with Down syndrome in school with other kids or on teams or doing anything other than riding around in vans with other kids with Down syndrome.   They went to special schools and people called them retarded and made fun of them for being stupid.  It's only been recently that I've started seeing these adults in the community working, playing, eating out with friends and families, and generally being ordinary citizens.  And it's only been since having you that I even recognized my own prejudices, stereotypes and hurtful words.  I have a lot of atonement to do and the best way I can think to do that right now is to share the stories of you and people like you.  So, you'll just have to get over your embarrassment.  I'm sure it won't be the last time I embarrass you :) "

I guess that's it.  She's determined to do it so we'll all just have to endure.  She means well.  And who knows, maybe someone will understand a little more by what she shares and will learn that I am not stupid because I have Down syndrome.  And maybe she can teach one person that calling someone "retarded" is a terrible word of the past just like other hurtful words we have removed from our daily language.

In other news.  If you rub my belly and make a wish, I think it might come true.  See below.

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