On a Very Special ARB: it's mean 2 say "retarded"
Yeah, I feel like this entry's gonna B like an after-school special or a "very special episode" of sum bad show U were only watching cuz it's betw 2 other shows U enjoy an' U cdn't B arsed 2 change the channel 4 half an hr.
More abt last week in school, when I had told Shannon Lake abt Liz calling me "picky face" an' how Shannon had sed it's better than being called "retarded." So, continuing on w/our convo, I was all, "Shannon--who calls U 'retarded'"? And Shan rattled off a list: "Jeremy ...Jones ....Bianca.... ...Miriam ...An' that ....guy ...over there. They call every1 in special needs retarded." I was all, I HATE them 4 that!" And Shan was like, "I don't. They ...just don't ...understand. They just ...don't ...know us!" I was all, "They're ignorant an' they're mean!" Shannon sed, "Well ...it's ...not their ...fault if ...they were born ...that way." Hm, but WERE they? Isn't this behaviour learned? Well, NEway, I'm glad it's not like I'm d8ing sum1 who ever talks this way. I'd just HATE.... Oh, w8. Um, look over there. Yeah, behind you. I thought I saw, erm, sumthing shiny? Pretty? Never mind, it musta been the sun in my eyes!
Apes
More abt last week in school, when I had told Shannon Lake abt Liz calling me "picky face" an' how Shannon had sed it's better than being called "retarded." So, continuing on w/our convo, I was all, "Shannon--who calls U 'retarded'"? And Shan rattled off a list: "Jeremy ...Jones ....Bianca.... ...Miriam ...An' that ....guy ...over there. They call every1 in special needs retarded." I was all, I HATE them 4 that!" And Shan was like, "I don't. They ...just don't ...understand. They just ...don't ...know us!" I was all, "They're ignorant an' they're mean!" Shannon sed, "Well ...it's ...not their ...fault if ...they were born ...that way." Hm, but WERE they? Isn't this behaviour learned? Well, NEway, I'm glad it's not like I'm d8ing sum1 who ever talks this way. I'd just HATE.... Oh, w8. Um, look over there. Yeah, behind you. I thought I saw, erm, sumthing shiny? Pretty? Never mind, it musta been the sun in my eyes!
Apes
Labels: Shannon
posted by April Patterson @ 6:37 AM
5 Comments:
At 11:06 AM,
Anonymous said…
April,
I don't know why your silly friend Shannon is so upset about being called retarded, she is isn't she, it is a proper term for talking about someone with a low IQ, it is a term we teachers use all the time, also Candace says that is the term that psychologists use too, maybe Shannon is upset because all that technical jargon is hard for her to understand, since she is retarded, she is isn't she, I mean I know you always say she's "slow" and "differently abled" and whatever other nice terms that don't mean anything, but I think her proper label probably in her school files is "retarded", but you wouldn't know that because you are just a student.
As for why I am always so mean well I am not, I just treat you how you deserve, you called me a very nasty name and you are lucky I didn't chase you down like a cat and clobber you, you have been ruining my life ever since you were born, you brought up just one of the many instances, do you think I wanted to go through your poop to find that button, no, it was just my duty as your FREE babysitter!!! AUGH!1!
Okay, back to my special buckling up inservice,
Liz
At 6:34 PM,
Anonymous said…
April, my daughter Signet is one of your sister's students. I found your blog by doing a search on your sister's name.
I have to say, I am just appalled to see Miss Patterson not only throwing around the word "retarded," but suggesting that she uses this word at the school where she is teaching my child! I think her principal and the special-needs teachers at her school will be very interested to hear that she uses such derogatory language
Wanda McPherson
At 6:35 PM,
April Patterson said…
wow, liz, i think u an' candace both oughta call nipissing u an' ask 4 a refund.
and no1 deserves 2 b treated the way u treat me.
apes
At 10:37 PM,
duncan anderson said…
K, Jones now u r in rilly big truble. Im going 2 have 2 beat u up 2X cos u used the r word.
L8r, d00d.
p.s. Apes, thanx 4 the cricket upd8. Canada lost by 7 wickets, so uncube.
p.p.s. Apes, Im back Sun pm, will u meet me @ Horny Ts @ 8 pm? I wont have time 2 c u on Mon cos Ill b beating up Jones 2X bhind the DQ.
At 2:23 AM,
Anonymous said…
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
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