I dunno what I was on about

Hey, peeps, so I'm still talking abt my convo w/Shannon @ school last week. This time, Shannon asked me if ppl calling her "retarded" means she's stupid, and I sed it doesn't, and I went in2 this whole thing abt how when a flite's delayed @ the airport, the French signs are all "en retard" 2 mean the planes R on their way but not there yet. And Shannon was like, "So ...what ...they're ...saying ...is ...'I'm ...on my way ...but I'm ...not there yet'?" And I was all, "Xxactly," and how I thot the peeps who call her "retarded" will prolly never GET THERE @ all. And Shannon posted her perspective in a comment last nite:

April,

I was so excited to read your Real Blog this week, since it was about how I comforted you when your sister called you “picky face.” One of the best ways to make you feel better is to ask you a question about something I already know. I got a copy of Retarded Isn't Stupid, Mom! by Sandra Z. Kaufman a long time ago. When I asked you the question, I thought you would say something like, “Stupid is as stupid does.” or “’Stupid’ comes from the Latin stupidus = stup(ére) which means ‘to be numb or stunned’ and ‘retarded’ comes from the Latin retardāre which means ‘to delay’”.

Your answer surprised me. You said I was like a late airplane, from an airport sign in French. My dad says when airplanes are “late on arrival” all the time that means the airline company is run by idiots and stupid people, who can’t get their plane schedules right. Also, everyone knows what your family thinks about the French. When you explained “’En retard’ means it’s on its way, but it’s not there yet”, I was so confused all I could do was repeat it back to you. I told my brother Blair about it, and he said, “En retard” just means “late”. I guess you were making up a new definition to make me feel better. Or maybe you didn’t do very well in French class.

But then you compared the people who call me “retarded” to airplanes who never get there, like they crashed. I was confused again. I asked my brother Blair about it and he said, “I thought April’s boyfriend Gerald was one of the ones who called you ‘retarded’?” I said he was, but I was careful not to give you his name in my list of ‘retarded’-calling people, because it would have messed up my whole plan to comfort you. Then Blair said, “Maybe get there is about sex.” I thought about you and Gerald, and I realized my brother could be right. Everyone knows he is never going to “get there” with you, after that time with the posters about your 16th birthday.

It was a good lesson for me, April. I thought I would make you feel better to tell me something I already know, but then you told me things I had a hard time figuring out. Even though I was confused, it seemed to make you feel better, so I think I am still the best at comforting you. I notice you didn’t say anything to Eva Abuya about being called “picky face.” I can’t wait until your sister calls you another name. I will be ready for it.

Love,
Shannon Lake

Yeah, sorry I babbled, Shannon. Sumtymes I just don't know what I'm talking abt, but I run w/it NEway, esp. if I believe I'm making sum1 feel better.

Apes