Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Today in the bank

I was in the bank with my mother. And while waiting for her turn (26 more to go before her, wtf) we saw a mother-son pair walk in.

The boy must be in his teens, judging on his build and the fact that his legs are starting to get hairy.

I say all that not because I'm perverted like that. I say it because the boy has very obvious signs of being Down Syndrome. It was not easy to tell his age from his appearance.

Before you start making judgemental comments, let me just tell you something my mum said about him.

"They're always smiling, aren't they?"

I was surprised. But perhaps it is true.

And so I told my mum about something I read some time ago. Where people with Down Syndrome has a lower life expectancy rate. Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't you noticed that you don't often see grownups with Down Syndrome?

Back to the boy.

He was seated quietly beside his mother. Well behaved. Smiling at everyone and everything. Mostly just smiling.

I couldn't help smiling myself.

I have to say, this boy was so much better behaved than normal children. He wasn't throwing hissy fits, nor was he being overly inquisitive. He wasn't running around, nor was he making a nuisance of himself.

He was just smiling.

"Pity, isn't it? That sometimes they don't get to grow up properly?" my mother lamented.

Pity, I thought to myself.

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