I believe that God has a sense of humor. In our everyday lives there is always something that can be found ironic. These ironic situations have been placed in the perfect time and situation to allow an enlightened view of joy and wonder in our “normal lives.”

I have an older brother. Just like any other older brother, Spencer really doesn't like to be told what to do, especially by his younger brother. One day he was doing something ridiculous, causing considerable trouble for me and my parents. And after receiving a few verbal slanders, Spence decides to call me a “retard.” I guess this wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary in a quarrel between testosterone raging male teens; however, my older brother happens to have Down syndrome. (Now I don't want you to get the wrong idea, I don't think that is ever acceptable to call someone “retard” as a slander. And Spence is the sweetest most genuinely kind hearted soul I have every met on the face of this earth.) But I guess it goes to show that everyone can get mad, and in this situation; someone else's anger was my humor. Now, no matter how truly mad I was at the time, all my anger quickly vanished, and was replaced by laughter. Now Spence had no idea why I was laughing, the situation was still hostile in his mind, but something had just crossed mine. I mean, “Who does he think he is to be calling me that, I mean he has Down syndrome for crying out loud.”

It was at that moment that I truly believed in something new. Spence had never really meant to be hurtful when he called me that name. It was just how society had treated him; a slight glimpse of what society was “teaching him.” I was taught growing up that I was supposed to be the positive impact on my brother and the world around me. However, it is to my shame that I can say that Spence most likely learned that word from me . So to think that I should be the one teaching him would make me a fool; he already has everything he could ever need. He doesn't need to be taught by me, but to teach me how to try to regain the “special” quality that I have lost. Spencer has that right kind of “special” that everyone should have; the child like innocents that will “tell you like it is,” but without any underlying meaning or hidden agenda. It's a quality that should remain “untouchable” but is often lost as we “mature.” And we think that we, “the normal ones,” are the most well off in life. That's funny.