Hi all!

One of my real joys in life, is when I get the chance to go into a
class room and talk to a group of kids.  Most of the time, they are so
up front about everything!!

About 3 years ago, a friend of mine was a teacher's aid for the
summer.  She ask me to come in and talk to her class.  So after she
introduced me, the first thing I told them was to feel free to ask me
anything they wanted about myself.

So this one kid stood up and asked a very spasific question about my
"privit parts"  Do to the rather graphic nature and content of his
question, I won't say much more then that here.  For those of you who
would like a more detaled discription of his question, welllll....  It
was much more of a concern then a question now that I think about
it. HAHAHAHA
Anyway, if ya wanna know more, feel free to Email in privit.

Anyway, my point to all this, was that his question reminded me just
how open and honnest kids can be in these situations.  Time and time
again, it's the adults I incounter in my travels who have a hard time
with seeing me for who I really am.  AndI'm always amazed whenever I
go into a large store or something, how much time and trouble an adult
will to go, just so their little ones won't aproach me and start
asking questions.

Later-Gary


On Wed, 10 Jan 2001, Anthony Arnold wrote:

> Friends,
>
> This is what I love about children without any disabilities or knowledge
> about them, they're usually so interested about asking us questions about how
> we live our lives and use any assistive technology devices we may have to
> use.  I remember a neighbor boy once asking me if I just slept in my
> wheelchair at night, and I could tell he wasn't joking he actually wanted to
> learn something about and from me.  I feel that we usually get mad at
> questions like this, but I would like to see us more open to teach especially
> children about us.  For sure, I could have gotten disappointed with this boy
> asking this, but I realized he just wanted to know and he might be a doctor
> or something someday who will remember me.
>
> Thanks,
> Anthony
>
>
> > --- Magenta Raine <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > I think parents should at least TRY to find out if
> > > their child CAN or will
> > > not walk. BUT I urge parents not to be obsessive
> > > about WALKING or talking.
> > > The wear & tear on the body of a CP-er is really
> > > hard. the body was not
> > > designed to walk with legs twisting around. Sure,
> > > Dina and I have had
> > > remarkable success in keeping and improving our
> > > bodies with alternative
> > > therapy, but it is expensive. (that's why I want a
> > > job) When I think of my
> > > childhood the image that comes to mind is me
> > > (drinking a McDonalds shake and
> > > those cheese crackers with peanut butter in them)
> > > with my Mom driving me to
> > > after-school therapy and tutoring. I had no real
> > > friends in my neighborhood
> > > because I didn't go to school with them. I had one
> > > friend but she lived in
> > > another city. One girl did befriend me when I was a
> > > girl scout. She even
> > > tried on my long leg braces. The kids in my Temple
> > > ignored me. I was not a
> > > very happy kid if only we had the Internet 30 years
> > > ago.....
> > >
> > >
>