Imagine

The other day a Facebook friend of mine posted the saddest story of a terrible shopping experience that concerned her mentally handicapped 16 year old daughter who suffers from Angelman Syndrome. The woman that posted this is someone I went to high school with and really do not know well at all. I do know that she also has a mild mental handicap herself. Even though I don’t know her well my heart ached for her and her daughter. Here is the story. Kelli, the mother of daughter Kailah, went shopping at a suburban department store for a prom dress for Kailah. They live in a very rural area so it was a significant drive to said store. When they walked in Kelli asked to be directed to the prom dresses. After following the directions of the sales associate they were still unable to find the dresses. Kelli then asked the 2 young girls working the register to show them to the prom dresses in which the girls responded by laughing, snarling, and asking why SHE (pointing to Kailah) would need a prom dress. Kailah is unable to communicate verbally but is able to read body language which came across loud and clear. After seeing this Kailah lashed out. At that point Kelli was just disgusted and said forget it and left. Kelli has filed a well deserved complaint with the store’s management. This story brought me to tears. Prom is one of the most exciting moments in a young girls life and now it has been tarnished by discrimination and cruelty. It’s very sad to say that this sort of thing happens every single day. It made me think though…who determines what “normal” is? Here is what Angelman Syndrome is defined as: A neuro-genetic disorder characterized by severe intellectual and developmental disability, sleep disturbance, seizures, jerky movements (especially hand-flapping), frequent laughter or smiling, and usually a happy demeanor. So this “Disorder” makes people smile and laugh frequently and exude happiness. Shouldn’t this be “normal”? Why would someone think it is ok to shame someone for not being just like them? Unfortunately, this is something we are seeing more and more of. Now establishments will be refusing service to gay couples in certain parts of the U.S….this will happen legally. We are seeing more and more race wars every day. The saddest thing of all is that this is all preventable. Racism, anitgay, any sort of discrimination is a learned behavior. It is up to us the parents, guardians, custodians, teachers, and mentors to teach the youth of America and everywhere else for that matter to love one another. No matter what….whether we are exactly like them or polar opposites. Whether we would live our lives in the same light or would never even consider it for ourselves. If at the end of the day they have not harmed anyone who are we to judge whether they deserve to be treated with or without respect. It reminds me of the song “Imagine” by John Lennon…Imagine what life would be like if we all loved one another…As a new Grandmother… I hope that if my grandson grows up to fall in love with another man that he will still be treated the same, as if the love of his life was a female. Or that his beautiful bi-racial skin color does not keep him from enjoying all of the things that his white mother was able to enjoy. Let’s all come together and IMAGINE a life of equality. For all you youngins out there who have no idea who John Lennon is here are the lyrics…read it, love it, live it…

Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky

Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too

Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You, you may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will live as one