Have you ever had a true life-changing experience?
I know my life has been altered many times throughout my short history on this planet we call Earth.
Well, on the weekend of April 22-April24, 2010, I had one of the most life-altering experiences in my life. I didn’t even know that such an experience was possible.
To begin, I was on the planning committee for the Youth Conference that my church holds every year. We began our very first meeting by deciding exactly what we wanted to do. Our first choice that was presented was an event called the Special Olympics. For those of you who don’t know what these consist of, it includes holding track and field events for humans who are “handicapped.”
We were all on board because we had heard of the event and wanted to see what it was like to be able to help these people. Over the course of the next few months we planned activities for our youth to do prior to the day, and also to figure out everything for the main event which is the Special Olympics. My first thought was that it would be a good experience. However, I could not have underestimated how undeniably amazing it was to help these truly special people.
Although I had many great experiences that day, the one that sticks out most in my mind was a boy – and I use that term knowing full well he is a man, but a boy at heart – named Manny who ran a 50m race. He was so ecstatic to be running in these games. He ran his heart out and just edged out third place. Now, many of us feel somewhat disappointed to get anything other than first, but Manny looked as if he had just won the World Series, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, etc. Everyone we passed, and whether Manny knew them or not I do not know, he waved at or hugged. His smile was so infectious. I couldn’t help but smile and feel warmth in my heart. Now, whether or not you believe in God, I know he is there and wanted me to experience this. (www.mormon.org )
Now, earlier, I had put the word “handicapped” in quotes. The reason for this is that it is not them who has a handicap but us. We may be physically able to do more, and to demand more of our minds and bodies, but these men and women were nothing but happy. They took the greatest joy in just getting a high-five or just being told that they did a great job. They were happy not only in victory, but even in loss. They congratulated each other no matter what, and helped each other out. How many of us mentally capable people can say that for each ourselves? When was the last time you walked out of any type of competitions congratulating people that just defeated you, or when was the last time you were happy just to receive a high-five from people. Even when someone tries to compliment something we’re doing we are sometimes adamant to take offense to something that they likely didn’t mean. So, as I said before, it’s not them who are handicapped but us. We often get caught up in everything going on in the world that we forget that there are more important things in life than ourselves and what makes us happy. We should focus on everyone being happy and doing nice things for each other. Rather than to put each other down, we should lift each other up and maybe even give each other high-fives.
I know my life has been altered many times throughout my short history on this planet we call Earth.
Well, on the weekend of April 22-April24, 2010, I had one of the most life-altering experiences in my life. I didn’t even know that such an experience was possible.
To begin, I was on the planning committee for the Youth Conference that my church holds every year. We began our very first meeting by deciding exactly what we wanted to do. Our first choice that was presented was an event called the Special Olympics. For those of you who don’t know what these consist of, it includes holding track and field events for humans who are “handicapped.”
We were all on board because we had heard of the event and wanted to see what it was like to be able to help these people. Over the course of the next few months we planned activities for our youth to do prior to the day, and also to figure out everything for the main event which is the Special Olympics. My first thought was that it would be a good experience. However, I could not have underestimated how undeniably amazing it was to help these truly special people.
Although I had many great experiences that day, the one that sticks out most in my mind was a boy – and I use that term knowing full well he is a man, but a boy at heart – named Manny who ran a 50m race. He was so ecstatic to be running in these games. He ran his heart out and just edged out third place. Now, many of us feel somewhat disappointed to get anything other than first, but Manny looked as if he had just won the World Series, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, etc. Everyone we passed, and whether Manny knew them or not I do not know, he waved at or hugged. His smile was so infectious. I couldn’t help but smile and feel warmth in my heart. Now, whether or not you believe in God, I know he is there and wanted me to experience this. (www.mormon.org )
Now, earlier, I had put the word “handicapped” in quotes. The reason for this is that it is not them who has a handicap but us. We may be physically able to do more, and to demand more of our minds and bodies, but these men and women were nothing but happy. They took the greatest joy in just getting a high-five or just being told that they did a great job. They were happy not only in victory, but even in loss. They congratulated each other no matter what, and helped each other out. How many of us mentally capable people can say that for each ourselves? When was the last time you walked out of any type of competitions congratulating people that just defeated you, or when was the last time you were happy just to receive a high-five from people. Even when someone tries to compliment something we’re doing we are sometimes adamant to take offense to something that they likely didn’t mean. So, as I said before, it’s not them who are handicapped but us. We often get caught up in everything going on in the world that we forget that there are more important things in life than ourselves and what makes us happy. We should focus on everyone being happy and doing nice things for each other. Rather than to put each other down, we should lift each other up and maybe even give each other high-fives.
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