Man, we have it good and don't even know it...

Stan's work boots served out every last penny of what he paid for them. Huge holes had appeared underneath and at the sides. He finally decided today that he was going to have to buy a new pair. We went to Garden City's Crazy House first. They are preparing to move to the new building and are having a sale to clear as much merchandise as possible before they move. Stan wasn't there long. As always, the western store was just as crazy as ever. Too many people. So, we decided to see what Wal-Mart had to offer.

While we were there, I saw several people who have major disabilities that they and others deal with each and every day. It made me realize just how very fortunate (I don't believe in luck) we really are.

I saw a young woman there who walked with no assistance even though her left toes faced her right toes every step that she took. Her kneecaps were just about facing one another. I've never seen a condition like this. I would guess that she was probably in her 30s. Though she had no walker, etc, she made her way through the store. Occassionally, she had to take the arm of another lady who was with her. You would think that a person with this kind of physical disability would be barely moving. Not this lady! I would say that she was just about as fast-a-walker as any other shopper there today. This lady really impressed me! She had a very nice personality and attitude and seemed as if nothing and no one was going to hold her back from a happy and productive life!

A short time later, Abigayle and I went to the ladies room at the back of the store. We saw a lady carrying her baby into the restroom. I was shocked at how heavy the baby appeared to be in the mother's arms. Then...I saw something that I will not forget for a long time to come. I have no idea how old the child is. The baby's head was larger than most adults heads. The baby's face was like everyone else's except for the fact that his/her forehead was probably at least 6 inches above the baby's eyes. The baby had a cone-shaped head with very long blonde hair. The back of the head was flattened. The rest of the body was the size of a 6-9-month-old baby. I felt so sorry for this little person and the family. The bulk of us fall apart if we have a simple, everyday headache. Imagine having a disorder such as that!

I saw a mentally disabled woman there. She was with her assistant going about her daily life. She appeared to be overflowing with happiness. It seemed that she had no idea that she was any different from anyone else. I am thankful for that!!!

Seeing these people really made me realize that I have no idea just how good I and most other people really have it. Instead, there are so many able-bodied people sitting at home each and every day watching TV, playing on the internet, etc as they wait for the post-man to deliver their latest welfare check and food stamps. Though they can and should be out working to support themselves and their family, they fall short and prefer to let everyone else support them.

The lady with the leg issue was visiting with another customer about her regular 40-hour-a week job. From the few seconds that I was around here, I could tell that she was a proud American who wanted to take care of herself and to do everything BUT be a burden on society. She acted as if she had no idea that she had a physical problem. To say that I was impressed is an understatement.

I have to think of what the future probably holds for the baby who I saw today. I doubt that there will be much of a chance for this poor little guy to be able to enjoy life as we know it. Can you imagine going to sleep every night realizing that tomorrow morning, you will wake up again and start the whole day over and not be able to do all that you would like to be able to do? Even the simplest of things like being able to take a shower and dress yourself when you want to and how you want to. So many people rely on others to do everything for them--feed them, bathe them, dress them, change their undergarments when they become soiled, get them out of bed, put them into bed...

Most of us, at one time or another, think that we really have it bad. Next time that it happens to me, I've gonna get out of bed, take a shower, dress myself, walk to the car and drive to Garden City just so that I can walk into Wal-Mart to have a look around to see others who make me realize that I don't have it nearly as bad as I thought I did...

VLE-B