Most of you know I have a twisted sense of humor--it's not meant to be mean-spirited, but I think people that don't know me don't know this.
Most of you remember being a kid and being made fun of for a variety of reasons--your front teeth fell out too soon or too late, you were too tall or too short...anything kids found to make fun of you they used. Unfortunately, that mentality still thrives in many American adults and it is really disturbing. Many times at work I turn to a co-worker and say "what grade are you in?" or "what grade is she in?" Their behavior is just that juvenile.
I found this story in the paper, and it caught my eye so I thought I would attach the on-line version:
Gurinder Osan of the Associated Press took these photographs of an Indian baby today at her family's home in Saini Sunpura, India.
No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. This infant, a girl named Lali, has four eyes, two noses and two mouths.
"When I saw my daughter for the first time I was afraid of her but when the doctor said that aside from her two faces she was a normal child I accepted her," the girl's mother, Sushma, tells IANS.
Now villagers are lining up to see the baby that many view as a reincarnation of a Hindu goddess.
"God has made her like this and we are lucky to be her parents," grandfather Brahm Singh tells IANS.
Wow, instead of hiding her away, the locals now consider her the re-incarnation of a Hindu goddess named Durga--a fiery deity with three eyes and many arms (thank God she doesn't have more than one set of arms!).
When I was working on my undergrad in anthropology, I took a grad level course about Shamanism (covering all regions of the globe--even the US--think of church snake handlers). Native Americans did not hide away people with schizophrenia--they were promoted as Shamans or other highly respected people in their culture. Of course, when you have such a title you get a lot of one-on-one attention and care so I think these individuals were well cared for. Many schizophrenics have amazing gifts and talents, but because of the medication to control the other symptoms they often are not able to be as productive. I'm not advocating for no medication--just saying that different cultures revere things we consider to be abhorrent.
What little quirky things make you strange, but are actually quite charming?
2 comments:
Hey..
send me your email address (uzbekubet@yahoo.com). I'm seriously emailing certificates.
I have a dent in the top of my head...that's all I can think of right now...I could think more if I didn't have that daggone dent! Oh, and my hands are almost exactly the same size they were when I was in kindergarten...yep, they are little hands! My dentist also says my mouth is very small - HAHAHAHAHAHA!
:)
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