I Should Have Said...
To the gentleman at the stables: Thanks for informing me five minutes after you met me that Erik "needs a sibling." Wow! I had absolutely no earthly idea. Now I can follow your advice and start being a good mother. In the meantime, though, please get out of my uterus. I am a very busy woman with things to do.
Oh, one more thing. NEVER label anybody's child you know next to nothing about "severely mentally retarded," like you did my son so casually, unless the parents say these words first, demonstrate they are comfortable with them, and/or they actually even apply. I know parents whose lips have yet to utter those words because of the pain and shock they felt the first time they heard them. I could care less what your credentials are, what your title is, or where the hell you happened to work in the past with developmentally disabled children. You seem like you mean well and have a good heart, but your words will undoubtedly someday destroy a parent who is new at this when you blindside them as you did me.
Sigh...
Oh, one more thing. NEVER label anybody's child you know next to nothing about "severely mentally retarded," like you did my son so casually, unless the parents say these words first, demonstrate they are comfortable with them, and/or they actually even apply. I know parents whose lips have yet to utter those words because of the pain and shock they felt the first time they heard them. I could care less what your credentials are, what your title is, or where the hell you happened to work in the past with developmentally disabled children. You seem like you mean well and have a good heart, but your words will undoubtedly someday destroy a parent who is new at this when you blindside them as you did me.
Sigh...
Labels: awareness, education, ignorance, Williams syndrome
14 Comments:
Oh my word. Reading that made my blood boil. I could feel my heart rate going up. What the hell is wrong with people? GEEZ.
Amen sister.
Are you kidding me?!!
It never ceases to amaze me, the things that come out of people's mouths!
As is your style, I'm sure you were gracious to this person, when a right cross would have felt really, really good. I just wish there was a way to let him know. Trouble is, he probably doesn't have the capacity to understand.
Do you get tired of hearing how much your mother respects you?
Love, Mom
Oh my goodness - the nerve he had. I don't get people.
Eww! I can't believe someone said that to you! He obviously doesn't have as much 'experience' as he THINKS he does!
wow...that's about all I can say! Don't you just love being around people like this?? Glad they know everything about everyone!
Noel
I think sometimes people just don't know what to say... so instead of thinking about something nice to say... they just say ANYTHING in an attempt to say something profound (which USUALLY isn't!)
Nancy ~ I truly hope you Erik and Brian will have a GREAT 2008! ~ jb///
I think he needs a job along side my friend at Mcdonalds that thought Noah was autistic. People do not think before they speak. I just told Scott this weekend if one more person asks me if Noah was a preemie I was going to tell them, "No, we just don't feed him".
Crap...what was he thinking...where he came from, did he not learn about gentleness and minding his own business thingy?
Blerg!
XOXO
Amy
Stables? What? Who were they and where?
Oh, good freakin' grief! People amaze me.
!
i am gobsmacked.
seriously. what on earth was he thinking?
some people >:(
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