by Niel Marcus
I know how much people struggle with notions of the handicapped and lack of meaningful information, with society informing the public about handicapped people (or not informing the public at all). I admire every person I relate to because in spite of all misinformation, people are incredibly and beautifully human.
Clive Turner (Stockport) - Erotic Lanscape (sepia ink drawing)
The world has bits and pieces of uncertainty concerning the handicapped, and that is why it is good for a handicapped person to say "hi". I have this strong feeling that the world needs to be shown some thing... the kind of education which is a human revolution. I have seen people wonder, "What should I say? What should I do?" These are very natural questions to ask. In the area of the handicapped it is the handicapped person who is going to settle all doubts and lead the way.
....Let me tell you how it is in real life. My favourite example is the store: I walk in with my usual bobbing and swaying gait, with arms flailing the air for balance, and I usually meet some little child who looks on with astonishment. The child will look on until they have reached some mental conclusion, and then run away. I continue on my journey past the adults who pretend not lo notice (I'm very hard not to notice), past the people who move very quickly to get out of the way, because they want so badly to try and aid the situation, and past the people who smile and say "hello" as I say "hello".
Steve Dwoskin (london) - still from film To Tea
A normal occurrence for me is to see people frown as I approach. I sec this as being a confusion in their minds; knowing and not knowing how to act towards me. The wonderful thing is that when I am at my best I am saying, "I exist", with a spectacular glow, bouncing down aisles and otherwise attending to my life and living. When I do this I see the frown and all the confusion disappear and I see standing before me a marvelous human being who is smiling.
This is why I say the world needs lo know that handicapped people exist. The world has something very special to learn, something very relevant to living.
© Complete Elegance. Reproduced by kind permission.