My Day

so today i did some volunteer work at a Logan Community Centre. it was definately a new experience. don't jump to the conclusion that i'm a saint. it was for an assignment i'm doing. but yeah i've always wanted to do volunteer work, just never thought my first time would be with people with special needs. i had no clue what i was doing...

lesson No. 1 - Don't judge a book by it's cover... especially in this environment. I actually went up to one of the ladies with an intellectual ability thinking she was one of the staff asking if she needed help. Her name is Karyn. And when i saw a man in a wheelchair just staring at nothing i automatically made assumptions of his disabilities. turns out we could have a good chat bout chess and bowling and other things i'm not good at :) His name is John.

lesson No. 2 - Some prefer to be treated to as adults while some prefer kiddy play - no matter what age they may be. One of the younger men (less than 40) doesnt actually have a mental disability so to me it was like talking to anyone else, just with arthritis. His name is Stewart. Then there was the other John, who seriously looked like a professor in Physics, but i got to played "velcro-ball darts" with him. He was better. And he laughs at absolutely every joke. lol such a cute Physics professor.

lesson No. 3 - If someone doesn't warm up to you immediately, don't give up. There's one lady named Melissa. It didn't matter how many smiles i could beam at her, she'd still looked unimpress. But when i saw them playing a game i sat down next to her and asked her if she could teach me how to play. She was more than happy to. anyway so today i learned how to play Rammies. yeah... its like a cross between Uno and Dominos. but our relationship grew deeper when we talked bout period pain. yes. don't judge me. i'll use what i can. lol

lesson No. 4 - People are more capable than you think. for morning tea i helped feed Shayne. Helped wipe her face and everything. then at lunch i found out she could feed herself. it was just messier. and she spilt her drink. but i think it's worth it if she could get one step closer to independence (something we take for granted everyday). She can't speak but she can laugh and squeal. so she likes to get in on all the jokes.

lesson No. 5 - People with disabilities are people who are different... but then again who isn't different? They all have different needs when it comes to communication and that's not their problem, it's how I adapt to their differences to treat them as unique individuals. it's the same as how i talk differently to my friends than i do to aunties and uncles at church. i do it out of respect and i want to make the other person feel more comfortable.

it takes time to work on this but i'm determined to make a connection to all the members, even the ones that can't speak. everyone has something to say, it's just whether we have the time and motivation to listen in new ways.