Saturday, February 19, 2005
~ 5:46 AM ~
those who read my lunar new yr blogs would have by now know that i have a cousin that has Down Syndrome. we all call her "mei mei".
i believe that majority of those who come across these ppl who are ill or handicapped would say that they sympathise them and classify them as unfortunate. this sterotype is acceptable mostly due to the media. just watch some charity shows and u would udnerstand y. to garner more donations, these shows would show video footages of the difficulties faced by the 'less fortunate' and let the audience feel the sorrow of their plight. good strategy. i dun deny that these ppl may be less fortunate in a way, but has anyone thought tt they may actually be more fortunate than us? i just realised this point during chinese new year.
mei mei is a 9 yr old with a 5 yr old physique. she is small but she has a big heart. she has this tremendous amt of energy within her. she would go to all the other cousins, uncles and auntys to shake their hands, pass some humourous comments such as "ur hair beautiful ahz" and sometimes drop jokes like a bomb! she has this sweet smile that captivates people. she is capable of making funny facial expressions that tickles us. she is cuddly to hug. everyone in my extended family holds her close to their hearts. she is the fruit of our joy.
i feel that she is more fortunate than us simply because she is kept away from the ugly side of society. she does not need to handle much problems posed by society. she is kept away from harm that other ppl may cause her. she is just living in her own world, a paradise, or even, living in heaven on earth. she has parents that protect her and shower her with love, but not to the extent of spoiling her. she has the freedom to do wat she really wants. she can sing and dance, just like an entertainer.
in comparison to her, the amount of daily things we need to cope with by ourselves is of significant volume. mei mei can just smile all day and live her life happily.
however, when i shared my views with my dad, he agreed. however he said "wat abt when she grows up?" i had nothing to say...coz i really dunno.
so, is mei mei really more fortunate or less fortunate than us? maybe time will tell...
