He Cannot See or Hear
May 4, 2021
A FRIEND recently told me something I’d like to share with you.
She knows a young man who has Down Syndrome. Whenever this man is forced to wear a face mask, as so many disabled adults are, he believes he cannot see or hear. He acts as if he cannot see or hear when he has a mask on — and no one can convince him otherwise.
This man knows something that people far more intelligent and capable do not know.
He knows the head is a functioning whole and our senses are interconnected. He has an intuitive grasp of the amazing complexity of our faces. You cannot cut off the nose and mouth from the face and expect it to function normally.
He knows that a mask is a radical thing, a challenge to his existence. He knows that he cannot be expected to adjust. His mind and body are one.
It is sad to think of this man, and so many like him, some with touching meekness and submission, trying to live in this dehumanizing world. They often read faces. Many of them need faces. But at the same time, his reaction to something so unnatural is reassuring and uplifting even.
God has generously given us beings who are incompetent by normal standards. They help us see and experience life in its simplicity and profundity. Their wisdom is necessary to us. In a way, we cannot see or hear without it.
— Comments —
Camilla writes:
You are so right about this. I find that most individuals in the intellectual disability system have far more innate common sense and sensibility than their caretakers. We should all learn from their example. My daughter is my greatest teacher. She lives in the present moment, accepts everyone as they are, lets go of injury quickly and gets on with life.
