One of the engines that drives human accomplishment is the fact that humans want to be in the presence of excellence. This in itself drives the human spirit to reach for greatness. Now, the environment (PC, government etc.) has a lot to say about whether a society can produce great figures but for the purpose of this post it's sufficient to use the human element alone. Call it the "Wow! A human did that?" factor.
It always blows me away to watch a person with disabilities rise above their affliction to face life head on. To spit in the 'face of these badlands,' as Springsteen put it.
I was flipping channels and stumbled on 'The Last Comic Standing' and caught one Josh Blue. The last time I saw a comic with a disability on TV was that girl on 'The Facts of Life.' Aside from the difficulty of getting up there and making people laugh, these people have an added strike against them. I got the shivers watching him. I know people with handicaps want to be treated equally but it's hard not to be impressed - because they are not equal in any Constitutional or Charter way. This cuts above a piece of document. In some ways, they are better.
We want (grave?) greatness. We want to see how far humans can push the envelope, but at times it's not just about seeking greatness. We can be forgiven for assuming the odds are against anybody becoming the next Rodney Dangerfield - "I told my dentist my teeth were yellow. He told me to wear a brown neck tie" - but human greatness evidently has many different dimensions. With this beacon shining bright, he's already won.
At least he won't be on the 'Facts of Life.' I really didn't enjoy that show.
To be honest, I wouldn't know. I only watched Josh. The thing about all these talent shows is that it seems to me all they've done is take 'Star Search' and 'The Gong Show' and combine the two. Not only that, they were shrewd enough to have a show for music, acting, comics etc. whereas they all used to be under one tight roof with Ed McMahon. Now we have three channels and 54 shows to choose from. Ah, progress. When all else fails repackage the sucker and pass it off as original. As for your child, it probably is a difficult situation and I hope Josh has a positive influence. But nothing can replace the heart and dedication of a parent. I know. My sister doe sit everyday with her son who has PDD/NOS (a form of autism). Hang in there. You'll probably learn from the whole experience. God bless.
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