Monday, January 4, 2010

"We all have a disability of some kind; all are lacking in one way or another. Saul has an injury to his leg. What if his personality was deformed? How much worse if his soul was lame? Preachers or teachers look for the good in all of us. (Bless them for doing so.) I don't see a cripple. I haven't met anyone yet who isn't handicapped in some way. So what's the big deal? Don't hide your deformity. Wear it like a Purple Heart." -Source: The Nursing Home Fugitive






This post... I want to talk to you guys about this show I've been watching and downloading. It's quite amazing. It's this little show called Glee.

HAHA I'm sure that you probably heard of it. And yes, I am kinda consider myself a Gleek. I just started watching it about 2 days ago and finished it already.

I'm not here to talk about the show. It's about the content of the show. Yes, this show is about musical and performing and acting. But what I find that I truly love about this show is how everyone is so different and can still be together. And not only that, there are issues that we face everyday whether it's teen pregnancy, disability, homosexuality or even being yourself.

It is so crazy. I thought it was just another show. And i was sooo surprised.

The issue I want to discuss today is disability. And I'm sorry if I'm using this term and it has negative connotation. just tell me what would be a better word to use. cos the word "disabled" sounds really ridiculous.

I am soo touched by this character, his name is Artie. He is paraplegic, which means his lower half and legs dont work. Yes I am touched by all the other issues on the show, but I wanted to talk about this one was because its something i've never talked about.

This Glee club is going to competition, but they had to raise money to get a bus that is accessible for wheelchair user. But people in the club said for Artie to just get his dad to drive him. He said that he didnt take it personally but he did. It's a personally thing.  For that episode, they had everyone else raise money and go to school in wheelchairs.

I thought it was amazing, because it shows how difficult it is to be wheelchair bound. I am not a wheelchair user and I dont understand where his character is coming from. But it find it beautiful that he can do things just like others. And it didnt matter because he was able to sing and do what he wants.

Other issue is that, the entrance that is accessible to Artie, is at the far end, and I find it kind of unfair. You dont really think about it until you see it. It's really rough.

In the end, they did raise the money, but Artie said he'll have his dad drive him, because he'd rather the money go to building ramps for other wheelchair users. I found that to be BEAUTIFUL. He is not selfish, he thinks of others. It's just beautiful at how can someone who's struggled just to be considered "equal" can think of everyone else when WE as "normal" or whatever we are, cannot think of others. I found it to be touching, enlightening and most of all INSPIRING.

He shows that he can do whatever he wants to do and be whoever he wants to be. Just because he is paraplegic doesnt mean that he is less. he is an inspiration and I want people to really watch this show.

It just has sooo many issues that we need to be talking about. and I truly tryuly love this show. It touched me in soo many ways.