nixtress's Diaryland Diary

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Mama Lioness at her worst.

There was a small tidbit of an article today, reference a baseball coach being sentenced after encouraging and even paying a Little League player to injure a fellow player who had autism and didn't play in the same manner as the rest of the team.
I have to say that as I read this article, I went from puzzled to furious! Enraged might even have been a good term.
Having a son with Asperger's Syndrome (which falls in the Autistic Spectrum), I saw this Summer the difficulties he had with baseball. He did well but he did well in HIS way. I can only imagine the damage that has been caused to that autistic boy by the actions of a coach so hellbent on winning. A man in a power position with these children, someone who's supposed to teach them good sportsman-like behavior and he's paying a pitcher to hit that poor kid with a baseball?!
Way to go about teaching America's children tolerance of differences, patience with those who's abilities are handicapped, working as a team instead of just as an individual. Way to teach a quirky kid that he doesn't matter, that he's an impediment to the team rather than an asset, that trying new things hurts.
Way to impact the life of a kid who's already been impacted so much just by breathing and being.
***
I'm in a strange mood today. It began with that article and moved onto the rest of my day. I'm angry at the world today and it's showing. I've been snappy and just plain icky and I don't like being this way. Every attempt I've made to adjust that bad attitude has been met with yet another thing to toss me back in the ring with it.
I took a hot shower, let the water run until it was frigid and realized not only was I pruney but I'd been in the shower for over an hour. I sat on the edge of the tub and just as the water was finally drying on my skin, I ended up in tears. Uncertain tears, as I'm not 100% sure what I was crying about but there they were.
That article hit so close to home. I can't protect Trev for the rest of his life, as much as I'd like to. Mean people exist and as he gets older, the more exposure he's going to have to them. It hurts my heart to think of the bruisings that can occur completely unseen by human eyes.
I feel this way about Ry too, but to a lesser degree. I know, in alot of ways, he's got the confidence to stand against this sort of bullying. Trev...he doesn't. He'll be a target for those who don't understand.
And I don't know how to prepare him for that.
Tears, again.
I'm going to bed. Time to end this day.
N.

9:38 p.m. - 2006-10-13

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