GET IT PUBLISHED!

Meredith, I had so many thoughts of street people and others who may have homes but aren't well kept while reading your story.

My most recent incident with something similar goes like this:

There's a man I regularly see in my town who gets around in a motorized wheel chair. His body is very distorted and he shakes. He's probably in his late 20's, early thirties. I've often wondered about him. Is he homeless, but then I saw him going to a home a couple blocks over and assumed he lived there because there was a ramp.

Because he looked so different I felt awkward when I saw him. I didn't know how to act. Never thought to talk to him.

One day while driving with my son in the car we saw him and my son commented on what an awesome guy he was.

"You know him"? I asked

"Well we always see him when we're skating and he stops to watch us so we try to talk to him, but he's really hard to understand".

Hmm, I think, that's interesting.

Shortly thereafter I saw his picture on the cover of our town paper. Come to find out, he's an artist and has won some huge award on televison for a documentary made about his life and his paintings. They call him The Gimp.

He straps a paint brush to his head, kneels on all fours and paints unbelievable paintings. His work was recently in a NY museum and also a local gallery.

I went to the local gallery on a Saturday and sure enough he was there in his chair proudly showing his paintings. I bravely spoke with him and had a very hard time understanding him, but I stuck with it. I asked about the documentary and he communicated that I could watch it there at the gallery. I proceeded to watch his story with him, then spoke with him about his work. I was so touched by his tenacity and desire to communicate. As soon as I closed the gallerry door behind me I was moved to tears.

WOuld I have spoken with him had he not been featured on the cover of our town paper? God, I hope so.

I learned a huge lesson that day. I was also proud of my son for befriending someone who looked out of the ordinary.

This is coming from someone who thinks she's nonjudgmental, has taken her kids to shelters to serve and mix with the residents, and has taught her kids that you can't tell what a person is like just by looking at them, yet I must admit I do the same thing at times.

I'm with you Meredith. Thanks for the lovely reminder.