Differences

Have you ever noticed how people try not to pay attention to something that's different about others? Or just out-and-out ignore those people?

Let me tell you all, that the overcompensation is even more noticeable. People with differences are humans with feelings, and being ignored, etc. hurts! It pierces our hearts, like a harpoon piercing a whale.

I chose the whale for a reason, because our differences are there, big, bold and very noticeable. When a whale gets harpooned it doesn't die automatically. It's just a bleeding, hurting, wounded mammal. The whalers will let the whale run, shoot it many times with a rifle, wait for it to die, then drag the carcass back to shore, leaving a humongous, gory, trail behind.

Being ignored or "not noticed," wounds, causing a gaping, bleeding, deep sore. Each time this is done, we die a little more inside, also leaving a gory trail behind. We put up walls to protect ourselves, walls of anger, walls of shyness, and even walls of embarrassment.

I adore children and their honesty. If they're curious, interested or just in wonder of my differences, they stare, point or ask questions. Adults get embarrassed and try to quiet them. Don't do that! You'll teach them to ignore people who aren't quite perfect and they'll think being different is not a good thing.

Come over, talk to us in an intelligent manner. Teach your children to embrace differences, not be scared of them. We're not disabled (that is some one who can't or won't do anything for themselves). We're different-abled (someone who does things in a different way)!

In the end, we all have differences, some are just more noticeable than others.

My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds.

Psalms 38:11

I am blessed

Merrym Dawn Mathis Bruce