tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post5497591366019891213..comments2024-03-19T07:36:33.915-04:00Comments on Of Battered Aspect: BreezeDave Hingsburgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918601687946534172noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-51591623558303959162009-03-17T00:13:00.000-04:002009-03-17T00:13:00.000-04:00I was just thinking about this feeling today - I r...I was just thinking about this feeling today - I recently connected with a bunch of Jewish folks my age out here and it was like that moment in high school when you find the drama club or the math team or the other geeks around whom you feel comfortable and are (finally, luckily) like "wow, i belong somewhere."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-74634945916916793592009-03-16T13:36:00.000-04:002009-03-16T13:36:00.000-04:00A topic that pushes my "soapbox" button!(I'm going...A topic that pushes my "soapbox" button!<BR/><BR/>(I'm going with the quick thought, as I could/do ramble on about this for days.)<BR/><BR/>I tend to think that absolutes create problems in any number of settings. <BR/><BR/>It seems to me that regardless of the definitions we place upon ourselves/or have placed upon us by others......we all have a tendency to want to spend time with people we somehow see as "like" ourselves in one/more aspect. We develop little communities for ourselves within the greater communities based upon our own definitions.<BR/><BR/>It seems to me that people with a "developmental disability" label are no different. <BR/>Sometimes the defining element is family relationship, or gender, or religion, or sexuality, or musical taste, or preferred activity, or 12-step program, or charitable cause, or.....well I know you get it.<BR/><BR/>The point is that all people, as individuals, should have CHOICE about definitions, about preferred groups, about forming community.<BR/>Everyone should have as broad or narrow a definition of community as they desire at any given moment.<BR/><BR/>Forcing an absolute one way or the other narrows the potential for experience for everyone in the community.<BR/><BR/>E : )Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-73522994893281150912009-03-14T15:44:00.000-04:002009-03-14T15:44:00.000-04:00Eileen, go to a conference sponsered by a local or...Eileen, go to a conference sponsered by a local or national Down Syndrome society ... or the international conference in Dublin in August (I'm speaking there) and take your 11 year old. You will never regret going.Dave Hingsburgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11918601687946534172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-81719866423419052722009-03-14T13:00:00.000-04:002009-03-14T13:00:00.000-04:00My head is till in a spin. My 11 year old is in m...My head is till in a spin. My 11 year old is in mainsteam school, attends mainsteam activities. We've rejected 'disability' stuff because we believe everything should be open to all. <BR/><BR/>Despite recent media coverage to the contrary, there are few children born with DS now and - since we are in a rural community -there are none (that we know of) in our town and of the same age.<BR/><BR/>What the hell do we do? Do we have to contrive contact and social situations in the same way we do with typical kids? I really can't get my head round this one...Eileenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08840254396320552806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-28136666419332460352009-03-13T20:00:00.000-04:002009-03-13T20:00:00.000-04:00Sorry, I meant asocial, not antisocial. Big differ...Sorry, I meant asocial, not antisocial. Big difference, I know!!Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04931944728963114472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-54511815437609076632009-03-13T19:59:00.000-04:002009-03-13T19:59:00.000-04:00Well said, Ettina. From another (not so antisocial...Well said, Ettina. From another (not so antisocial but still autistic) Aspie who totally gets the message in this post.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04931944728963114472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-42219649978241447002009-03-13T13:18:00.000-04:002009-03-13T13:18:00.000-04:00You just described the biggest problem I see with ...You just described the biggest problem I see with inclusion.<BR/>When you are a minority group, often subject to misunderstanding and discrimination, you *need* contacts with people like you. Even an asocial autistic like me needs that.Ettinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08230821659466586897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-87897620898616682622009-03-13T11:51:00.000-04:002009-03-13T11:51:00.000-04:00Dave, this whole concept of lonliness and isolatio...Dave, this whole concept of lonliness and isolation has really hit me hard. Your post yesterday, and especially Manuela's comment, haev had my mind spinning every since reading them. In fact, I blogged about it today and referenced your post.<BR/><BR/>My daughter (14 years old) is deafblind which already is extremely isolating. But then to have that isolation made even greater by well meaning support staff, myself included, has hit me like a ton of bricks.<BR/><BR/>Thank you for opening my eyes and my mind to this different perspective.Ashley's Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05621835327282616218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-37491840357794252902009-03-13T09:31:00.000-04:002009-03-13T09:31:00.000-04:00I don't know if this will make any sense but here ...I don't know if this will make any sense but here goes.<BR/><BR/>I am Canadian, born and bred here. My husband was born in Hungary. If we ever decided to relocate to Hungary, I would have to integrate into Hungarian society and learn the language and shop in the stores, but that sure wouldn't stop me from searching out other Canadians and nobody would fault me. If I couldn't find other Canadians, I would probably look for Americans or Brits - we are not quite the same but we do have some commonalities - again, nobody would fault me or try to shame me into only spending time with Hungarians because, after all, I am in Hungary.<BR/><BR/>I think the same thing should go for the disability community. It is great to spend time with the non-disabled community but why not spend time with people who understand who and where you are in your life and even if their experience is not quite the same, you do share some common points and experiences.<BR/><BR/>My 2 cents!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-27315541639944032972009-03-13T08:57:00.000-04:002009-03-13T08:57:00.000-04:00breathing gay air. I'm straight, but I so underst...breathing gay air. I'm straight, but I so understand that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com