I had kind of an eye-opener at work today.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - I had kind of an eye-opener at work today.

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:12:17 PM EDT

I work at a restaurant waiting tables by day, and fighting crime at night.

Well, the first part is true anyway.

Back on subject - I showed up for work at 11 this morning, and saw a 'short bus' letting kids out to come in and eat first thing in the morning. That's fucking great, I thought, since I hate kids, and mentally handicapped kids would probably be throwing food and having tantrums and whatnot. My day was starting off badly.

Well, I ended up waiting on seven special needs kids, and within an hour I was ready to adopt the whole lot of them. All of the children there were very polite and well mannered; better in fact than 95% of the 'normal' people I serve on a daily basis.

The thing that got me was that the youngest, who was also the most severely handicapped, needed another Coke, and when I brought it to him he signed 'Thank You' to me, which pretty much slew me on the spot.

I won't ever think negatively of handicapped children again, and am pretty ashamed of the way I felt when I saw thier bus pull up this morning. Don't know if that means anything, I guess it just goes to show you should never judge a book by its cover.

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:21:26 PM EDT

[#1]

ATTA BOY! Good on ya! [:)]

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:22:01 PM EDT

[#2]

Bravo!

(not meant to be sarcastic)

CW

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:25:03 PM EDT

[#3]

Good job and thanks for spreading the word.
I have a nephew that is that way and if he needed a new home I wouldn't hesitate.

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:28:04 PM EDT

[#4]

Cool story.

Thanks for sharing.

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:29:55 PM EDT

[#5]

I'm glad you had this wake-up call and reacted the way you did, these kids can really make you appreciate what you have going for you. I have a nephew who is autistic and every time I feel like life isn't going my way, I think of him. My hat is off to the people that work with special needs kids on a daily basis, I know to some people it is very rewarding but I think it would break my heart to see what they go through every day.

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:30:56 PM EDT

[#6]

They'll melt yer heart, won't they. Glad to hear your story.

Scott

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:32:42 PM EDT

[#7]

Takes a big man to admit something like that. Especially on this site.

Good for you.

Now go forth and fight crime at night (in a law-abiding politically correct way of course).

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:36:42 PM EDT

[#8]

It is amazing how you can be surprised sometimes.

BTW what is with the fighting crime at night?
Are you Daredevil or just a mall ninja?

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:44:33 PM EDT

[#9]

I spent some time volunteering at several Special Olympics events over the years - something almost nobody who knows me knows about. I found it to be some of the most spiritually rewarding time I've ever spent doing anything in my life. These kids, despite any malady they may have, are beyond a doubt the most full-of-life human beings I've ever seen.

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:50:26 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
It is amazing how you can be surprised sometimes.

BTW what is with the fighting crime at night?
Are you Daredevil or just a mall ninja?

View Quote

Eventually I plan to move on to paramilitary operations, wrapping the night air around me like the Dark Cloak of Justice.

Currently however, I limit my crime-fighting to making sarcastic replies to threads that irritate me here. Stupidity is a crime, after all [:D].

Seriously, I could tell that all of those kids felt it to be a big event to go out in public and eat. They all brought paper menus with what they wanted to eat and drink circled, and said please and thank you approximately 9,000 times each.

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:57:49 PM EDT

[#11]

I'll bring my students by sometime, they'll change your thinking right back. [;)]

Benz- Not to crap on what you did, but I'm actually anti-Special Olympics. I try my best to make my students as much of a part of society as possible. I want them to be thought of as people first, not their disability. I want them to be included in society. When you think of Special Olympics, you don't think of a person who has some disabilities that may affect their ability to function independently. You think [red]RETARD[/red]. Special Olympics emphasizes the differences, not the sameness. Plus it is patronizing to the participants, where everyone wins and gets a hug. Would you want your kid doing that kind of activity or participating in real sports. Why should it be any different for kids with disabilities.
Sorry for the rant. [:)]

Posted: 12/10/2003 6:58:07 PM EDT

[#12]

Found elsewhere, made a good point.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Thanks for your post. I had a niece with Down's Syndrome. She was one of the most loving and honest people I've ever met.

Posted: 12/10/2003 7:04:34 PM EDT

[#13]

Just think: you made their day special just as much as they made yours speical. Way to go!

I spent some time with MD in Michigan back in the mid '70's. What great memories...

Rest In Peace, Frank Z.

Posted: 12/10/2003 7:11:13 PM EDT

[#14]

I passed over this thread 3 or 4 times before I decided to stop and see what was inside, glad I did.

Posted: 12/10/2003 7:34:19 PM EDT

[#15]

My dad tells me when I am feeling sorry for myself or I am bitchin about something that there are people in this world who would KILL to be me and have my problems.I hate it when he humbles me like that.For I KNOW that he is correct.I am blessed.I know it.I just take life for granted sometimes and forget to be thankful for being who I am.

Sorry for the highjack.But your post made me think of this and I wanted to share it with you all.

Posted: 12/10/2003 7:35:52 PM EDT

[#16]

It is good to have that kind of realization. Glad you came to it.

Now, just because I am a small, twisted, sick, evil sort of man, here is a little holiday music for you: [url]http://load.pquinn.com/binaries/fries/[/url]

Posted: 12/10/2003 7:49:56 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
It is good to have that kind of realization. Glad you came to it.

Now, just because I am a small, twisted, sick, evil sort of man, here is a little holiday music for you: [url]http://load.pquinn.com/binaries/fries/[/url]

View Quote

How can something so wrong be so funny?

Posted: 12/10/2003 9:09:40 PM EDT

[#18]

Good job young man!!!

Posted: 12/10/2003 9:13:49 PM EDT

[#19]

Nice job.

There but for the grace of God go we (and maybe our kids).

-hanko

Posted: 12/10/2003 9:18:47 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Nice job.

There but for the grace of God go we (and maybe our kids).

View Quote

Yep.

Posted: 12/10/2003 9:30:54 PM EDT

[#21]

Thanks for the post.

I don’t know what else to say.

Posted: 12/10/2003 9:36:06 PM EDT

[#22]

Ya, that happened to me at my second to last job. I worked the front desk at a credit union and I was talking to a member, here two kids with her, and the younger one started talking to me. Be damned if I could figure out what he was saying but then he ran up and hugged me. Then, to my surprise he kissed me on the neck... that was pretty odd, but he didnt know better. I still washed my neck though.
Kinda felt the way you did.

Posted: 12/10/2003 10:17:04 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

... and saw a 'short bus' letting kids out to come in and eat first thing in the morning. That's fucking great, I thought, since I hate kids, and mentally handicapped kids would probably be throwing food and having tantrums and whatnot. My day was starting off badly.

Well, I ended up waiting on seven special needs kids, and within an hour I was ready to adopt the whole lot of them. All of the children there were very polite and well mannered; better in fact than 95% of the 'normal' people I serve on a daily basis.

The thing that got me was that the youngest, who was also the most severely handicapped, needed another Coke, and when I brought it to him he signed 'Thank You' to me, which pretty much slew me on the spot.

I won't ever think negatively of handicapped children again, and am pretty ashamed of the way I felt when I saw thier bus pull up this morning. Don't know if that means anything, I guess it just goes to show you should never judge a book by its cover.

View Quote

That's a great story. Congrat's to you for 'getting it'.

You must surely be a better, more mature and compassionate person after that experiance.

I could use a lesson such as that, myself.

Posted: 12/10/2003 10:35:26 PM EDT

[#24]

Thank you...

Posted: 12/10/2003 10:38:36 PM EDT

[#25]

Very nice story, good job!

Posted: 12/11/2003 6:14:33 AM EDT

[#26]

Glad I did read this....Thank You.

Posted: 12/11/2003 6:23:46 AM EDT

[#27]

Then you have the ones that will pull out their johnson and piss in the middle of a room, or eat their buggers for desert. Glad your experience turned out good.

Posted: 12/11/2003 6:38:13 AM EDT

[#28]

Well done - keep up the good work [:)]

Posted: 12/11/2003 10:02:49 AM EDT

[#29]

Good post

Posted: 12/11/2003 10:03:18 AM EDT

[#30]

Thanks for a good read. I never had to deal with special needs children, even in the retail setting, but I did have a number of handicapped customers. My favourite was a blind girl (about 14-15 yo) who came in with her mother. All she wanted was a AM/FM/Cassette radio (this was 89, CD ones were pricey).

I took the time and brought each one of the displays so that the girl could "see" the radio by touching it. As she would touch a certain part I told her what it was. I started that right off, not once did I defer to the mother about anything; I just acted like she wasn't there.

They were very thankful and bought one from me along with batteries. After the transaction was done the girl's mother told me that they had been to several electronics places and not one took the time to treat the daughter like a real person. It's kind of embarrassing to be thanked for just treating someone like a human being.

Posted: 12/11/2003 10:03:57 AM EDT

[#31]

Fantastic story. Unfortunately, it says much about the "normal" kids running around nowadays doesn't it?

Posted: 12/11/2003 10:12:15 AM EDT

[#32]

Good read. I was one of the people that passed this thread over a couple of times before clicking on it... and like the others I'm glad I did. ; )

Posted: 12/11/2003 10:27:06 AM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:
I passed over this thread 3 or 4 times before I decided to stop and see what was inside, glad I did.

View Quote

Me too, thanks AvengeR15

Posted: 12/11/2003 10:36:32 AM EDT

[#34]

My dad drives a Handicaped bus for the school district. Every once and awhile I go with him when he drives his rute and the kids on his bus are some of the neatest people I have ever met.

Sure their are some of them that are really far out there and can be a pain in the butt, but then again, there are those kinds of people everywhere. For the most part, they are very kind, cool people that almost always put a smile on my face.

Posted: 12/11/2003 10:43:05 AM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:
It is good to have that kind of realization. Glad you came to it.

Now, just because I am a small, twisted, sick, evil sort of man, here is a little holiday music for you: [url]http://load.pquinn.com/binaries/fries/[/url]

View Quote

[smoke]