Office of Administration
Governor's Council on Disability
Missouri Poster & Journalism Contest

Third Place – High School Division

Katie Birkenfield
Kearney Sr. High School
Kearney, Missouri

December 9, 2006

Dear Diary,

Today they called me weird again. A freak. But I AM NOT a freak!!! Why can't they see me for who I really am? Why do they think I am worthless? Am I worthless? They say I'm not normal, and it hurts! IT REALLY HURTS!!!!!! I wish they would just all stop teasing me. If I was made an outcast, why do I have to be cast out*??? I just want to be like everybody else!

-Me

Jokes and rude remarks about people are rude and hurtful. There is no reason for anyone in this world to be ridiculed, especially people with mental and physical disabilities. If we as human beings can create inclusion of all people for today and tomorrow, the world will be a much more dazzling place.

The act of including helps both the provider and the recipient of the courtesy. The recipient has the feeling of belonging. He or she will no longer view his/her disability as an oddity. Even though a person's disability may still limit them in some aspects of life, the encouragement from friends, family, and even strangers, will give them the hope they need to push themselves to heights. Even if the hope isn't necessarily needed, it will be much appreciated. The provider will also receive benefits. Not only will they make someone's day a little brighter, they may also make a budding friendship. It is terrible how some view people with disabilities as different, but they are really not. They are regular people who feel a need to fit in and achieve as all of us do.

All in all, the bottom line of this issue is respect. I know many people with disabilities (I even have sort of a mental one of my own), and put simply, all they want is respect. They do not want to be doted on, but also they do not want to be ignored. If you think about it, isn't this what everyone wants, disabled or not? No one wants to be judged by a stereotype, a statistic, or a quick glance. Every human being should get the chance to have an inference made about them. Respect seems like such an elementary concept, however daily society sometimes lacks evidence of it being taught to the human race. If we cal all simply grasp what it means to be respectful many issues would be solved. For the only things that matters in this world human feelings and relations. Science may tell us that we are small, insignificant parts of the universe, but I don't perceive that as true. The only thing that matters, deep within out hearts, is the love and pain of affairs that we deal with. We, the people, are all we have to count on, and we should at least be able to hold on to our only shoulder for crying.

January 15th, 2007

Dear Diary,

Today was a good day. Someone who usually ignores me asked me to play basketball after school with them and their friends. I was so shocked. No one ever asks me to play with them because they don't think I am capable of playing. But you know how much I love basketball! I had such a fantastic time. WE even made plans to sit together at lunch tomorrow! I am so excited. I really like my new friends! ? ? ?

-Me

* refers to the song "God Help the Outcasts", lyrics by Stephen Schwartz