This has absolutely nothing to do with photography, but it’s something I was thinking about tonight. I posted my thoughts on Facebook, but since not everyone is on Facebook, I thought I’d put them here as well. I won’t turn this into a wordy blog, but for this one occasion I’m making an exception. You may not know that in addition to photography, I am also a Physical Therapist. I work for ECI Homespun in Hays County, a division of MHMR. I specifically work with children ages birth up to 3 who have developmental delays or disabilities. That being said, the following thought is something I feel pretty strongly about. My goal in posting is that you will also think about it and consider the way you react to a person who has a disability the next time you run into them in the community.
The next time you see a person with a disability, instead of feeling sorry for them, look for all the things they CAN do. You’ll probably be amazed.
This is why I don’t find my job depressing in the least. In fact, it isn’t as much rewarding as it is just plain FUN. I say that last bit because when I tell people what I do they automatically say “that must be so rewarding” and ask if it is hard or depressing. Yes, I am helping and yes it is rewarding. But it is not a sacrifice. These kids brighten my life every single day. They are just like every other kid. They want and need the same things. Their parents have the same goals as I have for my own kids. We may reach these goals differently and we may modify our goals over time, but it is not any more depressing to work with a child who has a disability than it is to work with any other child. There are successes, there are heart aches, there are good days and bad. But in the end, it’s far beyond rewarding. It’s my job. I love it, but I don’t do it out of sympathy. I do it because it needs to be done. And because it is FUN. Who doesn’t want to have fun at work? I’d rather do what I do than just about anything else. And while it isn’t incorrect to say that it is “rewarding”, I’m not doing anything overly special. I’m not a saint. I’m not any nicer or less nice than anyone else. I just know what many people haven’t had to encounter in respect to physical differences. We’re all the SAME, underneath it all. I work with kids. Not disabled kids, just kids. And yes, they happen to have disabilities. It’s only depressing if you make it that way.
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