Camus Can Do

Harmonious Dichotomy

'Every so often, I look in the mirror and find myself amazed at how normal the person gazing back at me looks.

Let me explain – see, for a long time growing up, the notion of looking like a normal person (because regardless of how often we argue just what is normal, we all still at least have some idea of what is abnormal), well it was always something that felt far beyond my reach. True, a dramatic sentiment, but a sincere one. I grew up quite accustomed to having a physically visible condition and under those circumstances, you tend to weave your way between two worlds; the first being where you’ve grown used to feeling and being treated differently – in both the negative and the positive senses – and where you’ve learned to take the stares and comments and the itches and burns in stride, the second being where hope forces you to play a tug of war with yourself. You hope one day it will all go away and you will be normal and this hope both gets you through life’s oddball journey and makes you hate every second of it for not yet having reached that clear eyed, fateful day.' 

I'm not entirely sure when I wrote that, I imagine it was likely around the time I found this photo but, as is often my way, the thought went unfinished, if undiminished, so here it is.

Today on Facebook

Sunrise

MUM'S POWERFUL FACEBOOK POST ABOUT THE INSENSITIVE THINGS PEOPLE SAY ABOUT HER BABY WITH DOWN'S SYNDROME...

"Here is my baby girl, Louise. She is 4 months old, has two legs two arms, and one extra chromosome. Please, when you meet a Louise, do not ask her mother, “Was it not detected during pregnancy?” Either it was, and the parents took the decision to keep the baby. Or it wasn’t and the surprise was great enough that there’s no need to revisit it. Bear in mind that mothers have a tendency to feel guilty about each and every thing, so a surprising extra chromosome… I don’t need to tell you.

Don’t tell her mother, “It’s your baby no matter what.” No. It’s my baby, period. Plus: ‘nomatterwhat’ is quite an ugly name; I’d rather call her Louise.

Don’t tell her mother, “As she is a Down’s baby, she will… etc.” No. She is a 4-month-old baby who happens to have Down’s Syndrome. It’s not what she IS, it’s what she HAS. You wouldn’t say “she’s a cancer baby.”

Don’t say, “They’re like this, they’re like that.” “They” all have their features, their character, their own tastes, their life. “They” are as different between them as you are from you neighbour.

I know that if you haven’t experienced it, you don’t think about it, but words do matter. They can comfort and they can hurt. So just give it a thought, especially if you’re a doctor or nurse of any kind.

I usually don’t make my status ‘public’ on Facebook, but this one will be. You can read it and share it as you want. Because each year (in France) there are 500 new ‘mothers of Louise’ who can have a day ruined by those kind of words. I know it’s not meant to hurt. But you just need to know."

#sun7

This is one of the most beautiful reply threads I've ever seen on Facebook.

I've only scrolled down so far but even though, thus far, every reply is a voice of support (highly uncharacteristic for your typival Facebook comment thread) and ultimately understanding of a fundamental truth.

Disability of any kind doesn't make anyone less of a person. Clearly, Peter Singer I am not. Thank God.

The fact that anyone thinks it does is just plain sad. Doubt your ability to handle the challenge or wonder about what hardships may come, but don't ever, ever think that child is any less than they are.

Every person has intrinsic value and is important. Nothing on Earth changes that. Not a single thing.

The severe underestimation or outright disregard of that value lies at the core of every atrocity any person has ever committed against anyone else.

We have got to stop treating that assumption as though it were normal. It is absolutely not.