Stares

I grew up with and still enjoy to the fullest my cousin Larry. He's basically a down syndrome celebrity around home. Of course I remember people staring at him when we were in public or at Moore's Lake swimming and although my aunt, uncle and cousins handled and still handle it with grace I always studied my aunt's reactions in those public staring, pointing and whispering moments.

Sometimes she would give a short sentence of explanation but most of the time she just let it roll by and treated Larry like he was absolutely no different.

Now that I'm the mom of the son getting the stares, I know what she must have felt inside all those years. It is a certain sense of holding your head down to avoid eye contact mixed with a fierce amount of mother bear silently daring anyone to even think of making him feel strange.

My short answer when I get the stare and the occasional question is "He has Lyme disease.". But typically I just look past it and concentrate on how happy he is to be out.

Sure we feel strange walking into Game Stop and asking if they'll cut off the music and turn off the ringers, but we do it because it's our job.

I find most people are genuinely compassionate and as long as they want to help make Coleman feel somewhat normal...a stare is on the house.
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