'The StoreyMan' it is a must read, really it is.
You see, it is a story about David Hingsburger, who is a disabilities rights advocate and his meeting a young man in London named Steven Storey and how he views disability [his to be exact] and other wonderful things. The first thing that made me smile from ear to ear is the photograph of Steven, as he is holding a pint of beer.
Now I know you might think that is a funny thing to make me smile, but it is........because that was one of the weird things that crossed my mind when I was pregnant with Emma Sage [yes, pregnant] was the fact that I wondered if she would ever grow up to enjoy a glass of wine or a nice cold beer [or follow in her Momma's footsteps and have a passion for a Margarita once in a while] For some strange reason, I always had this misconception that people with disabilities didn't drink. Don't ask me how that misconception crept into my mind, but it was there. The other big misconception I held was on the topic of S.E.X........yes, for some strange reason I'm a prude. Lol!! Actually I'm not, far from it, but the thought of a healthy physical and emotional relationship was another topic that I really never thought about for Emma Sage given her diagnosis of Down syndrome. Weird I know. How uneducated and misinformed I had been.
You see, it is a story about David Hingsburger, who is a disabilities rights advocate and his meeting a young man in London named Steven Storey and how he views disability [his to be exact] and other wonderful things. The first thing that made me smile from ear to ear is the photograph of Steven, as he is holding a pint of beer.
Now I know you might think that is a funny thing to make me smile, but it is........because that was one of the weird things that crossed my mind when I was pregnant with Emma Sage [yes, pregnant] was the fact that I wondered if she would ever grow up to enjoy a glass of wine or a nice cold beer [or follow in her Momma's footsteps and have a passion for a Margarita once in a while] For some strange reason, I always had this misconception that people with disabilities didn't drink. Don't ask me how that misconception crept into my mind, but it was there. The other big misconception I held was on the topic of S.E.X........yes, for some strange reason I'm a prude. Lol!! Actually I'm not, far from it, but the thought of a healthy physical and emotional relationship was another topic that I really never thought about for Emma Sage given her diagnosis of Down syndrome. Weird I know. How uneducated and misinformed I had been.
People with Down
syndrome are just that....people. They happen to have an extra chromosome on
their 21st pair of chromosomes. This causes some common traits [phenotypes] amongst
people with Down syndrome, but it is not all encompassing and each person with
Down syndrome is as unique of a human being as any of us are. They look and act more like their families
than they would look or act like another non-family member with Down syndrome.
Each of us brings to this world our own special gifts........each of us has our own destiny to fulfill.......our own dreams to dream and achieve ~~~ people with Down syndrome are no different than any of us in this regard……they tell jokes, they drink beer, they have relationships.
See how much I have learned in 11 short years!!!!!!
Each of us brings to this world our own special gifts........each of us has our own destiny to fulfill.......our own dreams to dream and achieve ~~~ people with Down syndrome are no different than any of us in this regard……they tell jokes, they drink beer, they have relationships.
See how much I have learned in 11 short years!!!!!!
1 comment:
Neat post! I recall kids at college drinking including a range of abilities but not intellectually challenged perhaps. I have read that alcoholism is very low as is depression (for males with DS in particular). It was an essay in a collection if technical & a few non-technical essays in a NDSS sponsored book perhaps from 2001. Martha Beck had an awesome summary about myths in it, including the impact on siblings. The book was an excellent read!
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