Show Say To The Handicapped By ELIZABETH C. WALKER My friend Elva Jensen and I were out at the mall in I was sitting on a bench waiting for her to finish shopping still am limited in and a group of young age boys and girls in wheel all except were brought The one boy sat by me and I started talking with When I asked him to excuse me so I could talk with the he reached over and patted my I had taken time to talk with I LEARNED from the teacher that these were physically handicapped not mentally incapacitated there is a big Yet how often do we pass automatic judgment when we see a child struggling to to or to use hands that they are also mentally I asked about a young girl whose head was held back by a and learned that there had been an area of the spine that had never closed and it was necessary that her head be held that way because of A beautiful truly could never leave that All of these children had good but physical The teacher was interested that I would talk to her and to the and ask about She explained that they were pupils of Glendale High and some of the problems they had met with until they got pupil acceptance of these I assured her that I understood the problems she had I TOLD her of my youngest son's injuries in birth that left him paralyzed on his right I explained the problems we had and the and how all the paralysis was gone except for the tips his fingers and and how he was a PhD and under oath or secrecy from the Pentagon in his I explained that he had married a young woman who was handicapped from having a paralyzed of their love and and of the four fine young boys coming you know the problems these children I ASSURED her that I Elva returned and saying to these handicapped young people we Surely the most pressed individual can take time out to speak to and chat for a moment to someone less fortunate than they arel Nine months in a wheel half of them in a taught me the value of compassion little girl from Salvation Army who dropped by to chat and offer a prayer for the Jehovah Witnesses who brought me tomatoes and talked with me and always knelt in prayer before they the Seventh Day Adventists who held my hands and gave their strength to me as they prayed for me can I ever forget takes away a small bit of the some of these children |