Retarded, Whacko, Dummy, Cripple, Psycho. According to my mother’s doctor, it was my destiny to be called one of those names by the bullies of my school. After running multiple tests while she was pregnant, the results showed that I was more than likely to be born with Down Syndrome, and be partially paralyzed. The doctors suggested an abortion as one of the options for my mother, but she decided to take a risk and furiously refused. As a result, I was born on June 3, 1998, weighing in at a healthy 8 pounds, and miraculously had no physical or mental disabilities whatsoever. I always knew that I was blessed to have been born a “normal” boy, however, it was not until I visited Camp Barnabas that I began to live my life with more gratitude, and not take the basic elements of life for granted. Camp Barnabas is a camp in Purdy, Missouri dedicated to kids ages 7-15 with any type of physical or mental disabilities. I went with my church’s youth group the summer after my sophomore year of high school. My job when I arrived was to care for a camper the whole week, whether it was brushing his teeth, helping him put his clothes on, use the restroom, participate in the activities planned, and other important daily tasks. When the day of …show more content…
The second I walked into my house, it was as if a blindfold had been removed from my eyes. I came to the realization that I was the luckiest kid in the world to have working legs, arms, and brain. I realized that I had the capability to get up and run, play sports, or drive my car to any destination I pleased and meet with friends. These were all privileges that campers like Ty and Mitchell were cheated out of at birth, and it very easily could have been me too. Every time I began to complain about minor inconveniences, I would think of Camp Barnabas, which made me think of Mitchell and Ty, and I would decide to save that complaint for another day when I encounter an actual
I read the book Ugly written by Robert Hoge, which is a true story about Robert’s life growing up with a “disability”. Robert started off his book about the art of being ugly. Robert grew up with four other siblings, who were perfectly
Personally, would you prefer to be characterized as handicapped, disabled, differently abled, or crippled? While these names may sound a bit harsh, Nancy Mairs, the author of an article called “On Being a Cripple, easily chose her preference. Among the several
An organization known as Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) was helping our church with the event. CEF hosts five-day camps during the summer to share the gospel message with children. They had been to our house several times so I knew all of the leaders pretty well. One of the leaders invited me to go to the training camp in the summer and I readily accepted the invitation. After the training camp I was able to share the gospel message in front of groups of children, further helping me to go out of my comfort zone and pave the road to
The most prominent household that sustained this abusive cycle was the second generation of Trasks—the family that was the primary focus of the novel—where discrimination towards the disfavored child Cal was what urged him to adapt, and take on a callused-like maturity. Cal was illustrated as dark in many aspects;
Camp Barnabas is a program that enables children with mental disabilities to enjoy camping activities that they would not have the chance to
I never wanted to leave. I truly thought my life was ending on that August day in 2010 as the Peter Pan bus pulled off the dirt bumpy road in New Hampshire on its trek back to the Bloomingdales parking lot in Connecticut. The night before, I stood on the shore of New Found Lake looking out at the horizon on my last night, arm and arm with my sisters, tears streaming down our faces as our beloved director quoted, "You never really leave a place you love; part of it you take with you, leaving a part of yourself behind." Throughout the years, I have taken so much of what I learned those seven summers with me. I can undoubtedly say that Camp Wicosuta is the happiest place on earth; my second and most memorable home. Camp was more than just fun even as I smile recalling every campfire, color-war competition, and bunk bonding activity I participated in. It was an opportunity to learn, be independent, apart of an integral community, and thrive in a new and safe environment. I recognize that camp played an essential role in who I am today.
Camp Texas is an experience that I would love to have the opportunity to attend. I live with my grandmother who has raised me since I was 2 years old. She supports me any way she can whether it be emotionally, financially, mentally, etc…. She has been my only base of support and without her I truly don’t know where I would be at today. Growing up I always had my 3 sisters to play with, talk to, and keep me company. The hard reality just hit me, that in a few months I will no longer have them to confide in daily and I will be losing my support system. It will be up to me to make the right choices and while I will be able to call them, nothing beats a nice, warm hug. I will be alone in this cold, hard world.
In the beginning of the book Tom, the second eldest son, is hitch hiking back home from McAlester, the prison. He was just paroled from a murder sentence after spending about four years in jail. When he gets off of the truck he runs into the preacher, Casy. The only thing different is that Casy is no longer a preacher and has not been around for a long time either. He left because of conflicts he had with his belief in God. After they sit and talk for quite a while they decide to walk to the Joads house together. Although Tom's parents have no idea that he has been paroled. But as they reach the house the two of them notice that it is unusually banged up and empty. When they step inside, the house is vacant except for a couple of things that were left behind. Some of them were important to the family.
This camp is at a place called Awanita Valley and can be rented out. An evangelist named CT Townsend rents this place out every year and hundreds of teens from 6th grade all the way to college aged students meet. This camp has lots of fun things to do like a water slide and zip lining. Everyday you wake up and get breakfast at 8 and then go to morning service. After that you are free to do whatever you want until around 5. After that we go to a powerful evening service. These services can get extremely emotional. During these services your youth group gets together and we pray and this is when I realized even more how privileged I am. Privileged enough to have 250 dollars from working to pay to go to camp all by myself. But also privileged to have such an amazing youth group and for my
Camping is a fun activity for friends and family, that’s the time where they share their memories, and also make new ones. On the other hand, camping is when people are trying to stay off the rain, and wild animals form attacking them. That’s when camping is a time their lives depends on it. The article “Camping for their lives” by Scott Bransford talk about small and big cities that is over populated with homeless citizens. The article talks about what is happening in the scene, and what they have to face each and everyday order to survive.
Paul D’s initial image of his identity is the product of living at Sweet Home under the care of the Garners; having been told and treated as a man, Paul D is hopeful about his life and who he truly is. In identifying himself as a man, he believed he would be able to provide and be in control of his own life and possibly take care others’ wellbeing, like a family. In finding what it means to be a man, freedom becomes essential. “ ‘Y’all got boys…Young boys, old boys, picky boys, stroppin boys. Now at Sweet Home, my niggers is men every one of em. Bought em thataway, raised em thataway. Men every one.’ ‘Beg to differ, Garner. Ain’t no nigger men.’” (Morrison 12) While Mr. Garner believes his slaves to be men, others do not and this will serve to destroy Paul D’s frame of thinking once Schoolteacher becomes his master after the Garner’s relinquish their property. Because of the uniqueness in authority at Sweet Home, Paul D knows how it feels to have a family, a support system, and to be treated as a human instead of a piece of property. While Paul D is not free at Sweet Home, this sense of an assumed identity keeps him hoping that one day t...
September 17, 2002, my mom gave birth to Nafia Maire Carter Colson Blackshear.My grandmother named me because my mom was going to name me Aderiyah Yashera. She was happy that I was not born with Down syndrome. But we did have to stay a week after I was born because I had I yellowish pigment to my skin known as Jaundice. Then 2 years later my mom gave birth to my little brother on September 18, 2004, almost born on my second birthday he was also born with Jaundice and has asthma. Then 8 years later my little sister was born on September 13, 2012, she was also born with Jaundice she had it the worst and she also had problems with her head that she could've had surgery on her head but thankfully she grew out of it and is doing better. The crazy
The family’s poverty (which is partially due to the father’s absence) makes their future seem hopeless. The family lives in a poor, rural area, which was typical of black persons of their time. The family is crowded into a small, shabby home, so they must share rooms and beds. The family’s clothes are quite shabby too, for when James sees a mannequin in a store with new brown shoes, he looks at his own old shoes and thinks, “You wait till Summer…” The family does not even have enough money for some of life’s other necessities, such as food and medical care. For example, they eat bread and syrup every day for breakfast; and as James’ younger brother, Ty, said, “I’m getting tired of this old syrup. I want me some bacon sometime.” Beans are another bland food that J...
“I am Sam” (2002) is an inspiring melodrama of Sam Dawson (Sean Penn), a young man with developmental disabilities and a single father to Lucy (Dakota Fanning). While the film did not specify the specific condition, it is believed that Sam had a mental capacity of a 7 year old. Sam and Lucy lived a comfortable independent life at a small apartment and were surrounded by supportive friends who also had developmental disabilities. Sam was able to raise and provide a loving and safe environment for Lucy until one day Sam found himself in a courtroom fighting to regain custody of Lucy who was taken away because he was believed to be incapable of raising a 7 year old girl who has a higher mental capacity than him. This movie is truly inspirational,
The distinct clicking of the American Flag as it is placed in its stands starts the chorus of young voices pledging their promise,“On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight”. These words come with a special power that guided and supported me in the toughest and in the best of times.The journey of a scout is one of commitment, good ethics and exemplary citizenship as one grows to become a trustworthy leader and a person of strong character. Not without any difficulties and roadblocks along the way, I am privileged, honored and proud to have taken the journey and ultimately reached my Eagle