She looked up at me with big green eyes under a mass of red curls. The question was a harmless and innocent inquiry about my health problem but her mother pulled her away down the street making a comment that was inaccurate to say the least but I’m sure meant to cut off the child’s question in the quickest way with a read between the lines of, don’t ask things like that again, in the tone of voice. What would it have hurt to let me answer? Certainly my smiles showed I was not in the least offended. On the contrary I appreciated the opportunity to help her understand that everyone is different in some way and this was just mine.
I recently read something discrediting people that wear clothes that are more comfortable than fashionable. It seemed odd to me to consider that people with these kinds of clothes are automatically labeled as not caring how they look. Did they consider that some just aren’t concerned with paying way too much to have someone else’s name stitched on our clothing? Did they consider that some dress for ease because of disabilities they may have that might make putting on some more complicated, but fashionably acceptable, clothes difficult to impossible to get on? Did they consider that person might have a budget geared more to providing for the people in their life than an appropriately stocked closet? Did they consider that more comfortable clothes might make it easier even for a healthy person for them to get done what they need to do in their day?
I further notice that when you say you are reading the bible some people can’t seem to get away from you fast enough. As though you might contaminate them in some way or suddenly attempt to convert them. I’ve personally had occasion to have someone say to me, “Oh, you’re one of those.” “One of what?” I couldn’t resist asking. “One of those people that can’t think for themselves and has to let religion do your thinking for you.” I admit I laughed. I just couldn’t help it. Anyone that knows me could tell you how far from the truth that is.
