Friday Thoughts on Freedom

Today i was thinking about places in the world where knowledge is overwhelmed by fear and superstition. Mental illness has always been a very sketch discussion topic. People always hush it up. But i feel like this topic is extremely important to discuss. I feel like the more people know about it, the better we are able to figure out solutions to crisis areas.

Ignorant Americans we are, however, we tend to downplay our own issues in lieu of other countries. Our situations might not be quite so tortuous, however there is still much neglect and harm done. People should be treated like HUMAN BEINGS....i guess should is the key word though...

I know back when i was ignorant to mental disorders, I thought i was so much better that i could walk past without even acknowledging people who had like down syndrome or something. I always was uneasy around them. Clearly they were not normal, but i felt like DIFFERENT was a bad thing. My world was personally blown when i actually spent time with kids that had mental disorders for the first time.

My bubble space was completely encroached upon with hugs and kisses, I was schooled in break dancing, I laughed so hard i cried, and i discovered that kids with mental illness are pretty much the coolest people EVER. I also met some adults who were equally as awesome.

So why then do people treat them so bad? I think evaluating the problem is part of the solution...dissecting the WHY...ignorance. People who have been so removed from any kind of difference don't like to accept that different is good. SPECIAL is one of the best adjectives when used in the proper sense. Because hanging out with them will CHANGE your life. It changed mine. One moment you are in this selfish shell, and the next you just want to hug on everyone and have a random dance party. The quote "dance like nobody's watching, sing like nobody's listening...etc" reminds me of them. But they actually LIKE the audience. They are some of the most carefree people. It is inspiring to interact with them and learn from them.

the (WHY) link is to a professional blog from a journalist from the Guardian. She has provided many articles to spread awareness of the issues.

There is such neglect for them. When they are admitted to hospitals and institutions the care is substandard. There is also much discrimination, particularly in finding jobs. Unless the disability is truly severe, most can lead normal lives.

I worked with a girl my age at chick fil a over the summer. She could do just about everything that any of us could. She just learned it a little differently because of motor skills impairments. But she was really cool to work with....always positive and full of life! And i am SO glad that chick fil a does not discriminate based on that. Most places of employment may say they are unbiased, but in reality they are. And it has become a normal thing.

Later i am going to get into some specific legislation and avocations, but for now i feel like people just need to see that NORMAL is just depending on how you look at things.