Let Them Win Sometimes

It’s a pretty interesting life to be raised with a sibling with intellectual and physical disabilities only to grow up and work in an environment where people with disabilities are my peers all across the campus where my office is.  I have the privilege to see and interact with these extraordinarily unique and special people every day, but not everyone has the same chance I do.  However, it’s always pleasant to know when simply my interaction, involvement and voice have caused people to “get it.” 

I have friends who now apologize if they stumble over using the word “retarded” in casual conversation.  People are cautious now around me in their offensive and derogatory terminology regarding those with special needs.  But the most recent example of someone who “got it” was when my husband was playing basketball at the local YMCA just last week.  Mind you, he was an only child with little exposure to those with special needs throughout his life, yet he can still identify when one of these special people is treated unfairly.

Apparently on this given day, a “mentally challenged” (his words) teenager was playing ball on my husband’s team during lunch, and another adult player in his 40s on the opposing team chose to dismiss this teen’s disability by stealing the ball from him frequently, especially on inbounds passes.  It took only a few times of it happening for my husband to stop the game and essentially call him out in front of both teams for what he was doing to this poor guy.  Several of his teammates were taken aback and couldn’t believe that he called the guy out, but I couldn’t have been prouder of him when he told me the story.

Sir Edmund Burke alluded some 240 years ago that evil will triumph when good men do nothing.  It only takes one positive voice of reason to make a difference and impact people’s lives at any given time.  And as that TV commercial for some financial institution shows people helping other people and other people watching those people… (gee the marketing isn’t that great if I can’t remember the company’s name),  I can only hope that the spark lit by my husband last week will only ignite the flame in someone else to help and stand up for those who don’t always have the loudest voices for themselves.

In the game of life and on the basketball court, it’s O.K. to let special people win sometimes.