Nora has been checking out summer sports activities, offered by
various organizations, for people with mental & physical handicaps. 
Last Wednesday she went sailing for the first time.  I was wondering how
she'd be able to get into the boat... but this group was very well
organized & had obviously devoted some thought to such matters.  They
loaded one passenger onto each boat while it was secured to a trailer. 
They had a metal ramp, a "spider web" lift, and numerous other
bits of equipment which might be needed in the process.  All of the boats
had dual controls & an experienced volunteer rode in the back... so
once Nora's boat was in the water Dallas & I found a comfortable spot
where we could watch.

        Some time went by... and then we noticed that in another of these
boats the passenger's head seemed to keep bobbing up & down.  The boat
turned towards the beach.  Next thing we knew the passenger had gone
overboard & the volunteer was fishing him out of the water.  As they
got close to shore we could hear the passenger, a boy I'd guess to be about
six years old, expressing disapproval of the whole exercise in a manner
suggesting he was non-verbal.  His tone of voice was unmistakable although
he didn't use any recognizable words... then he acted out his feelings by
jumping into the water & wading to the beach.  We heard his mother
debriefing him later on.  Apparently he thought he was supposed to steer
the boat all by himself... and was quite terrified.  What Dallas & I
found most amusing about this incident, however, was that the boy literally
knelt & kissed the ground... twice, yet!... when he found himself back
on terra firma.  We had read about folks who did that, but had never
actually seen anybody do it.  :-))

        I'm reminded too of those who enquired, when Nora was in hospital
after her stroke, "Where's your daughter??  I used to see her walking
to school every day!"  I had no idea so many adults were looking out
for her... and this little guy had no idea how many adults were looking out
for him either.  Maybe when we feel all alone somebody is looking out for
us, but we don't realize it....  ;-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+