The Golden Rule

I saw this image on this site...Loved it!
  http://www.breathofoptimism.com/

The Golden Rule is an ethical or moral code that states we should treat others the way we want to be treated.  

I have seen people's reactions to those I have worked with over the past 2 years with mental, physical, and behavioral disabilities.  It astonishes me the way people really treat those that "aren't like" us.  To this day those with mental or physical disabilities are not treated as well as those who have no mental, physical, or behavioral diagnosis.  I was at a restaurant with a group of such individuals in which they were on their best behavior but because some talked differently or talked a bit more loudly than what is "expected" I guess....I don't even know why... but there was a table of a mom, grandma and two young children..who got up and moved because "they just couldn't sit next to those people".   I have seen the looks of disdain, pity and I guess just plain misunderstanding as we have walked through a store or museum.  

I have learned that it wasn't that long ago that people that have such disabilities were just locked away in an asylum because we as society didn't understand that there really were issues in the brain and chemical makeup of some people that made them act differently than what we consider the norm.

It makes me think about that fact that yes, indeed there are those who suffer from pretty severe mental/behavioral and sometimes physical disabilities.  Most by no fault of their own.   But they are human.  HUMAN, just like you and I.   They may not understand the world in the same way as we do, but really does the world even make sense to anyone some days?  And don't we all have moments that we act differently, usually due to choices we make on our own where we cause our own frustrations.  Sometimes we are own worse enemy.  My point being, we ALL have some sort of issue/issues from time to time.  We all can be considered "different".

When I was running the day camp program at the youth ranch camp.  I one day taught the golden rule, "treat others the way you want to be treated"...we read the Bernstein Bears Golden Locket book...and made our own lockets to remind us of how we should treat others.   We were in the middle of free play when I was sitting inside the tent area and I heard some little ones bickering in the sand box...I listened and a little girl let out with an ear piercing shout "IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO YELL AT YOU, THEN DON'T YELL AT ME"!!!    Everyone stopped, even the ants stopped to listen!   Needless to say the young man who was giving her a hard time and shouting at her...didn't raise his voice to her the rest of the week...nor did he to anyone!  lol..She got her point across!   Treat others the way you want to be treated!   LOL!   SHE got it...and so did the rest of the buckaroos! LOL!!!  No one raised their voice the rest of the week!

We all see every day, discrimination to SOME degree.   Discrimination in ANY form against ANY differences is just plain wrong!   WRONG!  WE are all human, we all bleed, we all laugh, we all cry, we all fall down, we all rise up.  We are ALL subject to discrimination and I'm sure most of us have experienced it at some point in our lives.   I know we don't live in an ideal world..but my ideal world would be to consider all of our differences UNIQUE and to give each other the benefit of the doubt. Treat people with respect and dignity until or unless they prove they don't deserve your respect or dignity by doing some heinous act against you or your family, or unless they threaten your safety and well being.  

Why can't we all just get along? Why can't we embrace each others differences?  Why can't we all just:

TREAT OTHERS THE WAY WE WANT TO BE TREATED.   

I wish everyone a very wonderful Sunday evening and a great week ahead!  And I pray for safety for those who may have to travel in inclement weather.  Have a good week! 



Marcy