stuff is cool

As I was leaving the office today, I saw a young man, maybe 20, curled up on the lawn next door, just off the sidewalk, as if he had stopped and fallen over in his tracks. It was not a place to stop an have a nap. Plus it was cold and rainy and he was in short sleeves. I rushed back inside and my boss came out with me. We were debating whether or not to go shake him when the neighbor, Gloria, came out, too. We all thought it might be that he was passed-out drunk, or on drugs, or (this was my input) in diabetic shock (having seen how out my brother was when it happened to him).

Gloria went and got her husband, Doug, because we were afraid if any of us woke the apparently-unconscious guy he might be startled and lash out. Plus, Gloria’s husband speaks fluent Spanish, so if the young man DID come-to, and only spoke Spanish, Doug could at least talk to him, if he was coherent enough to speak. We wanted to cover all the bases.

My boss had gone back inside to be with her baby, and Gloria was in getting her husband. For a moment I was alone out there with this unconscious fellow, and as I stood there, a car drove by and someone hung out the window and screamed this strange, cackling scream. I felt, perhaps, it was someone who knew the guy. It was kind of a mocking scream.

Well, then Gloria and her husband Doug came rushing out. They had heard the scream and thought it was me! In any case, Doug shook the young man, rolled him on his back, patted his face, and kept shouting at him to wake up. Nothing. He checked his pulse, and felt that the young man was breathing, but barely. Gloria called 911 and we three stood and waited, at a safe distance. It was blustery cold, by the way, for the first time this season!

About 8 paramedics and firemen came in less than two minutes. There might have even been more guys. They just kept coming. They surrounded Unconscious Guy, did the same shake-and-shout routine, did some medical stuff, and loaded him into the ambulance and drove off. All we could report to the paramedics was that we had just found the guy a few minutes ago. I mentioned the screaming person, not that it would really help. But I think maybe the guy was possibly just dumped there or intentionally allowed to attempt stumble home in an unhealthy state.

Our office (located in a house) is in a normal, fairly quiet neighborhood, but our particular street is very busy. There are people walking by all the time. This guy just didn’t make it where he was headed.

I don’t know, and won’t know, what was wrong with him, or if he is OK, but I will certainly be praying that he is.

This MSNBC story pissed me off big time. Made-to-order defects?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16299656/

My thoughts:

1) The parents obviously aren’t as comfortable with their conditions as they think they are if they are so inescure that they have to make sure their babies are “just like them” expecially because of the . . .

2) pain and suffering that comes from such deformities as dwarfism (the example used in the story.) Not just emotional pain but lifelong physical health problems as well. How could you wish that on your baby?

3) Some argue that parents want their children to share in their “culture.” It makes me think about those children of immigrants who were raised millions of miles away from “the homeland” but were able to grow up with some of their parent’s cultural traditions because their parents made the effort to share those special rituals and traditions with them, told stories, sang songs, and so on. I know a little of my Slovak heritage though I have never been to Slovakia. Why should it be any different with a family that has a genetic heritage?

4) As you know, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. Never in a million years would I subject such pain and disruption upon my child INTENTIONALLY. The idea sounds downright cruel. I have already wondered if I should even have children if they run a high risk of having similar autoimmune problems.

5) And back to the people with genetric differences who consider it part of their culture - well, I can’t stress enough that you are also giving your child lifelong medical problems and annoying curiosity if not downright cruelty from others. YOU KNOW IT. YOU EXPERIENCED IT. You may be well-adjusted (though judging by your intentions with your kid, I disagree) but your children would be facing years of anguish, both physical and emotional, because of your selfish need to have them be “just like you.” Let them be THEMSELVES!

6) I know nobody with such intentions is reading this thread, but it felt better to adress it to them than to be general.

7) Yeah, in closing, let me go ask my brother if he would like to make sure all his kids have diabetes so they can all share Insulin Injection Family Fun Time multiple times a day.