What Makes You Different?
- Heidi M Simone
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What Makes You Different?
Can you relate to Roan? Do you have something that may separate you from others? Physical or not? Or perhaps there is something in your family that you have may have resulted in embarrassment if/when talked about?
For me, I think the biggest thing growing up was the fact that I have three older siblings with learning disabilities. My parents, back then, were slightly embarrassed to admit that three of their children had any sort of differences. I think this is due to the stigma from the past. Nowadays, luckily, it isn't the case at all. However, this confused me as a child. So, when a classmate (that I wasn't sure if he teased me because he liked me or he was just a jerk) asked me about one of my sisters potentially being disabled, I became flustered and evaded the question. That led to embarrassment of bringing friends home or talking about my family in general. I was afraid of what people would think of me. When I reached high school, most of that faded away as both my parents and myself became more accepting and less worried. Now, we're good. Growing up in my household has actually led me into teaching children with special needs, so it all worked out well.
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- gali
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I certainly can relate to Roan, though I don't have any disability. I have a relative, a young boy, which has a mild autism, so I am not a stranger to this.
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Personally, I think I was fortunate enough to grow up in a society where people are generally accepting and kind. That's not to say that bullying didn't exist, though, and to be honest I have been on both ends, but I do think I've learned a lot since then.
- Heidi M Simone
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That's a good thought, rssllue. You are right, we all have something that makes us different, and it's the understanding that what's on the inside that counts, not the outside. I 100% agree with this. I also agree that God doesn't play favorites.
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- ebeth
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- Heidi M Simone
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Definitely don't feel obligated in sharing. Thank you for sharing as much as you did, and it's amazing how much persistence you have - you don't let it stop you from accomplishing what you want to accomplish. Thank you again.ebeth wrote:Yes I do however, I am uncomfortable telling people what it is. Mine is very minor, I'm sure people have figured out by now that I have something different about me but just haven't said anything. I come home from work more tired than the normal person because I have to work at hiding my difference from everyone. Also double the work for myself to make sure I do it correctly.
-- 05 Nov 2016, 19:56 --
Wow, thank you for sharing. I'm sorry you're going through some pain now. I wish you the best of luck with it.Janetleighgreen wrote:I am a klutz, I cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. I was in my mother's womb funny and my feet turn inward and my hips are not level. I wore corrective shoes until I was 14, which was so embarrassing. I was put in dance class when I was 4, until I was 14, this helped some. I began to twirl in 6th grade and did that throughout high school; this helped me tremendously. I had to get my shoes that we wore, for twirling, special made, for the first couple years though because I was still wearing those corrective shoes. Now, that I'm older, I feel the issues in my hip again and it hurts! I'll need to get it looked at soon, I'm sure. Dancing and twirling saved me as a child; those things made me feel less different.
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My heart goes out to the people whose physical or mental disabilities are frowned upon, though it's not their fault. The people who frown upon them definitely have that disability. We are equal and should be treated with equal respect.
Wonderful choice of topic for discussion.
-- 06 Nov 2016, 04:42 --
This is a wonderful way of saying it! I totally agree with you! 'Never judge a book by it's cover', am I right?rssllue wrote:The funny thing is that we all have something that we can be stared at for whether we have a disability or not. It really comes down to trying to understand who the person really is inside and not how they look. Also, a little bit of levity in understanding our own importance doesn't hurt either. God doesn't play favorites.
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I think you are lovely just the way you are. I feel there are some positives in being blunt and to the point; you can learn to be more tactful. I'm happy you're a part of our group!greenstripedgiraffe wrote:I'm basically not quite normal. I look fairly normal, and most people think I am, but I have a bit of something "off" that has not yet been categorized or quantified. I have significant troubles fitting in socially. It might be slight Attention Deficit Disorder (no Hyperactivity in there, though). I might have a little bit of autistic tendencies (I have at least one child on the spectrum, but they are both worse than I am). I have never mastered the art of "small talk," largely because I don't understand how it works. I over-analyze everything and am considered to be very logical. I tend to be blunt and tactless. I know these tendencies and work really hard to overcome the socially awkward part, but I haven't mastered that yet either - HA!