27 Terrence Joshua E.

Dinalangan Exposure
12-SAL

What I saw different were the resident’s similar faces who were affected with
Down syndrome, Tourette syndrome, etc. What made me uncomfortable is because of
their conditions, I fear what they would think and/or interact towards me. Yet, this
situation alone was not hard. Maybe it’s because I haven’t interacted or known any
special people with these kinds of ailments. This alone made me fear their presence due
to my unfamiliarity and paranoia towards them. I’d be honest, the things that truly
disturbed where their acts, like pinching and giving attention. Yet, I easily adapted and
was comfortable as they were harmless at the same time, needed love and affection. What
I felt when I experienced this was shame to myself. I overexaggerated when I first met
them, thinking too much on what would happen to me, this made me think of my
selfishness. I easily understood this and changed my perspective. The questions that I
brought up is how harsh is their situation, would I be comfortable with them, and what
can I learn from this exposure. The definition of being a human person for me changed
from equality to everyone to uniqueness to one another, due to how different they
standout to our society. The people that taught me my perspectives about the world is that
we are all special in content or gifts yet equal in worth an example are two jars with the
same size, both containing different contents form one another. This experience taught
my perspective about the world is that it is special, meaning that everyone is experiencing
different things and possessing different gifts. This experience alone changed my
perspective to all individuals, people who need affection, attention, and understanding n
order to truly know an individual. The challenges that lead towards people will be the
control of differentiating, bias, and stereotyping to other people. In my heart, what I must
do is to stop looking people differently based from looks, what I must be is to be
someone who respects and accept people from who they are, and lastly what I must have
to help me is respect and gratitude towards the people around me. How? by challenging
myself to change for the people around me.