Two Words

April 28, 2008

I had to share this with you all. What a great story!

Kristy

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Two Words

Again on a stage, this time in Baltimore, I'm doing the 'luncheon keynote' and

I've been asked to talk about Bullying and Teasing. I had a few new stories from

my workshop in Simcoe (see the 'hand series' a few days ago) and I sat there

looking out over an integrated audience. Most were parents and care providers

but several were people with disabilities as well. This should be fun.

It was people with disabilities got into what I was saying first and their

comments reinforced what I was saying. You can't fool an audience with

disabilities. At the end I got a standing ovation. That happens rarely so it was

very, very nice.

Afterwards I went to the book table and sat with Joe. He sold books and I

chatted with people. One man, a grizzled guy with Down Syndrome, made his way to

me with a real sense of purpose. He began talking to me. He talked quickly and

with great intent. He said something like this...

k gddh gdaph gmet

There were individual words there, they came quickly, but I didn't understand

him. He spoke too rapidly, his words were illformed but their meaning escaped

me. I listened harder. I could pick out certain words ... the first I got was

'hurt'. I listened and I knew from his repeat of that word that he was talking

about someone hurting someone else. After a few seconds of hard listening, I got

the word 'wrong'. He continued to talk and a few more words came clear, they

emerged from the haze of sounds and took shape in my mind. His eyes didn't leave

mine. I realized that it didn't matter that I understand his every word, he

understood his every word. He had something to say, he needed to say it.

At the end, when he took a breath, all I said was, " You're right, it's wrong for

someone to hurt someone else. "

" That's right! " he said, clear as a bell.

He walked off pleased that he had delivered his speach, pleased that I had

affirmed what he had to say.

Umm, this guy with Down Syndrome, this guy with difficult speach, this guy

understands that hurting people is wrong. Then why is it so hard for the rest of

the world. Presidents, Princes and Potentates don't get it. People who have the

gift of oratory will speak in defending the need for torture. People with the

gift of words will speak of God's love for some not all. People with the gift of

words seem to have little use for the only two words this man could say clearly.

Hurt. Wrong.

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