An old friend, and a new friend
A friend of mine called recently and invited me to join him and an acquaintance of his for refreshments. We met in a local establishment. We sat around sipping on cool refreshments and visiting pleasantly. But I noticed one thing, the newcomer would always speak just a bit slower and louder when speaking to me. Not enough to be insulting, but enough that I picked up on it. So, me being the straightforward type, I called him on it. I said “Why is it that when you talk to me you speak slightly slower and louder than when you speak to others?” His reply was “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to, but I knew someone once who was in a wheelchair and he was a bit slow” To which I replied “I know several people who can walk that are mentally slow, but I don’t treat you like you are.”
I went on to explain that I was a Husband, Father, and Grandfather. A motorcycle accident put me here and before that I was a full time factory worker, had 10 years in as a volunteer fireman, I was a Mobile D.J. and more. We went on talking and soon he began to see that we were more alike than he first thought. I told him “All that separates you from being where I am is 1/10th of a second. A slip in the bathtub, an accident on the way home. And it doesn’t even have to be your fault. Somebody talking on their cellphone runs into you, ect. There are a million ways to wind up in one of these.
We talked for a while longer and when he had to go he thanked me and told me that I had given him a whole new perspective on handicapped people. As my friend and I sat back, sipping our refreshments, he said “That’s why I wanted you two to meet. I knew you’d educate him.” I said “I’m happy to help. 1 down, billions to go”
Copyright David Breezy, 2010 / no part of this may be reproduced without permission.