I realize that I’m a bit freekie but I love crowds of people.  They are so much fun to watch.  Trying to intermingle with them makes me feel like a teenager again.  The children are refreshingly energetic, even the bratty, squalling ones.  Older people have learned to draw from the strength of others and that is encouraging to observe.

Parents come in every variety.  There is the self-absorded mother talking on the phone, while frantically searching for her six-year old in a restaurant who had escaped from her grasp.  (He had gotten tired of waiting for her, and he had snuggled into one of the booths for a quick nap.) On the other end of the parent sprectum, we observe the overly-attentive mom who sanitizes every surface her preciously primmed three-year-old reaches out to touch.

Of course, traveling with seven to eight mentally challenged adults completely changes the dynamics.  On Wednesday, I went with our South Carolina area director as she escorted seven of her members through Universal Studios Theme Park.  Because I wasn’t responsible for the safety of these folks, I was free to enjoy them and the people who pressed around us.  Mostly the crowds were courteous and polite, regarding the occasional missteps of our members. 

However, there was more then one person who seemed to think that mental retardation was contagious.  Yet, according to every medical professional opinion, I know about, it is not.  There was the man who pulled his child to his side and physically wrapped both arms around her as they walked past us.  He was mumbling in a stiff frantic whisper, “Hurry!  Hurry!  Hurry!”  I was thankful that none of our members misspoke or noticed him.

There are also the woman who was laughing and eating an ice cream cone until she saw us as we exited the park.  Her smile became a stern stare.  The chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream dripped on her fingers as her blazing, frown escorted us to the exiting gates. 

However, the most refreshing reactions were those that came predominantly from twenty-somethings.  They understood and enjoyed us as they passed.  One attractive, blonde woman, reached out to Clovis who is 80 years old and took her arm.  “Are you having a good time?”  she asked in her most pleasant voice.  “I’m so glad that you could come here today and that I got to see you.”  Clovis stopped walking in order to grin at the young lady who whipped past us.  Some others benched on the side-lines smiled and waved as we passed.  Melaine smiled broadly and waved. “Makes you feel like you’re in a parade,”  Florence said.

On my drive home, I took a few minutes to recount the day.  There was joy in almost every minute.  Melaine and Lois were sick but they never complained, even when they had embarrassing accidents.  Clovis at her advanced age had to be coaxed to rest.  Even cranky Florence was happily surprised when our SC director purchased everyone an ice cream cone. 

While our members are people with their quirks and forbles, they have the abilty to make even an awkward, embarassing moment work to their advantage.  They are able to live in the moment and enjoy it to the fullest.  It is true, mental retardation isn’t contagious.  But after spending a day relaxing and enjoying seven friends who are, I came away grateful that the grace of God can turn any disadvantage into a blessing for the world.

What are some of the reactions you have observed when you escort some of your members in a crowded situation?  Do you tend to be the overly protective mother or the self-absorbed, distracted one?