(((((BIG HUGS)))))

you're special also!


LOL this wasn't supposed to be my whiney post...I was trying to point out how awesome you guys are...LOLOL

thanks for all the links....

and alrighty to DD...LOL I wish I was that quick on my feet...

I am not sure what I was feeling tonight...I don't feel myself, if that makes any sense....

you folks are awesome folks..awesome awesome folks...

thank you...

I need to get up in 2 hours....guess I'd better go catch some Zzzzzzzzz's

I hope you are not "feeling yourself"

Go to bed young man!!!

Moi

I had the pleasure about 6 years ago of supporting an 17 year old man by the name of Michael to college two days a week, and one night a week to the local swimming baths.
Michael has Tourettes and had over 30 physical tics of which five or six were violent jerking movements that could not be missed [head jerking, arm raising and jaw stretching to name three] He also had vocal tics, where he randomly shouted out random words, some were swear words.

Do you know what amazed me about this young man was his ability to ignore the spiteful comments of random strangers. He told me "when you've heard one Tourettes joke you have heard them all",

I found it to be me flaring up in anger at his defense, he would just smile at me and say 'CHILL'.
At college most accepted Michael for who he was and not what they saw or heard. Most abuse came from strangers whilst going from A to B.

The lady in your work may have appeared Sophisticated, but appearances definitely can deceive. Wisdom does not always don a nice business suit or speak well. Ignorance and lack of education only appears when people open their mouths.


Moi i leave you with my favourite quote:

"A wise man adapts himself to circumstances as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it".
Chinese Proverb


David

David, thank you so much for that post. I'm so pleased that you shared the experiences of Michael with us.

We have more than one special person here on NT with TS, and many more with other conditions that elicit bias just as badly as Michael did, through no fault of their own.

I sometimes wish that I had same strength as Michael has, but I guess in lots of ways I'm luckier than some. The only visible disability I have is to do with my mobility. I use a cane now, but even people much older than me tend to look down their noses at me now when I'm out. It's as if they don't believe I need a cane, so they give me some very strange looks indeed, and you've no idea how nasty some people's looks can be when some-one as young as me... ... puts up that disabiltiy sticker on the car so I can use a car space closer to the place I need to go.

I didn't mean to get side tracked here, but I did want to say thank you to David, and to tell Moi and others in similar positions, to hold their heads up high. There is no need to be ashamed! There is no need to get annoyed!

Wouldn't it be nice if people in the "normal" world, were just that little bit more understanding ?

David, thank you sooooo much for sharing this inspiring story...

it really helps me and I am sure others....

I was really OK with it, for the most part. I usually try to explain I have TS if I have the time.

the thing with this lady was that she was so IN MY FACE about it....LOL

yeah, I know looks can be deceiving...I was more shocked than anything at her impertinence.

she doesn't work with me but if she ever become one of my clients, I will still treat her with respect...

I don't let the teases get to me anymore, well, not as much...but it was really something when it was about 1 foot away from me like that....LOL

I wished I was more like Michael when I was 17...it took me maybe another 13years before I was able to become a 2/3 of your Michael...I think I am about 3/4 of your Michael, give or take...

it is so good to read about this, David...thank you so much for sharing it. It inspires me and I am going to try to get that other 1/4 "Michael"

Vicky's son, Scott, is also an exceptional young man with TS, I've had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of years ago...he is a bit of goofball, like moi...

yet, he handles situations much better than I did when I was his age....

I am a late bloomer....LOL

((((BIG HUGS))))


thanks so much, once again! I am honored that you took all these time to type this out as I know you have tremendous pain....and...I am just very touched that you did...thank you....

btw, that's one of my favorite quotes also...and I'll add on to it one of my favorite stories:

" A young man went to the Daoist master to lessons of the "way"

the young man says to the master, 'master, I've traveled from afar to seek the way, how do I achieve it?'

the master said to him: go fetch a bucket of water

the young man was baffled but did it anyways.

when he came back, the master asked him to get a bowl of water

the young man, still baffled, went to get a bowl of water

the master asked again, 'go get a glass of water'

he did, then he was asked to get water in a basin, water in a bamboo holder, water in various apparatus...

finally, the young man got angry and said to the master, "what's all this about? I am NOT your slave, what's all this non sense??!"

then he turned around and was ready to leave.

The master halted him and asked him to look at the different apparatus and asked him: "what do you see?"

"Water......everywhere...."

take a drink, the master asked the young man....

he did...

"from the time you swallowed the water to the time it reaches your stomach to the time you pass it out, would that water be the same?"

the young man said,"no...."

the master pointed at all the water in the different containers and asked, "do these water not take the shape of their containers?"

the young man said, "yes..."

the master than pointed to the river down the road and asked, what is the shape of the water like over there?

the young man looked at the river, looked at the apparatus, looked within...

he reached enlightenment......

thank you, Anne

it's a good reminder that we all have things to deal with...and that we all have to try to be kind to one another....

(((((BIG HUGS)))))

thank you all once again for posting....

I am in awe of the supports here....

I have a son that people sometimes stare at...he's different. He knows that he is different. He wishes that he weren't. BUT....someone said something to him this summer...
someone that he loves and admires...who has TS and a couple of cats...who has a wonderful wife and a bright, shining, loving sprit...
someone who said something that has helped my son understand himself better. Something that made him feel more "normal" about not being normal.
someone who does not know that, because of what he said, has changed the whole person that my son is...
he draws now.
he writes.
he shows off his work.
he says that he is the best that HE can be...and that the people who count love him the most.
he says a lot of things, BUT
he won't say what that wonderful friend said to him....
and I don't want to know what it was...I only want my friend to know what he has been for my son. A true friend. An inspiration and a soft place to fall.
One stupid old woman is no comparison to any of that.

PS....blue footed boobies!!!!! I love the name, I love the bird...I love the picture

Ignorant old broad!!!


Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.


((((Moi))))

Moi...you should have called me! Thats what a big sis is for!
Oh, my Moi, I'm so sorry because of this womens lack of knowlege or heart that she was just "stupid". I hope she never has to face challenges even a fraction of what any of us experience.

Hey, guy we love you!! As the Olhipie says to me...I love your guts!!

EEEeeeek...I have 12 days til I go under the knife...back surgery...black and decker. I can hear the drills now!!!

Hello my friend, Muwah! So sorry I didn't see this earlier; I haven't been online much today. (no excuse) I am sorry for the pain that an ignorant person left you with, but while you are always making everyone here feel better about themselves, you need to be reminded that you are special b/c of WHO you are.

Don't let others' stares or unkindness ever change Muwah or make you second guess yourself. You have brought so much joy and wisdom to NT. I for one, am the better for getting to know you, even if it is in our lil cyber world here. We're lucky to have SM here, too! (someone's got to keep you in line) *insert grin*

take care friend~ you are truly cared about here.

PS: Give me her description, etc and I'll find her and give her a big SMACK!!!!!!!!!