Creating Beauty

As a child, I was frightened by a humongous Kissy doll. At 3, it was as big as I was and when you pulled it's hands together it made a smacking or a supposed kissing sound. I was sure it would get up and get me......making smacking sounds as it neared my bed.

Now I make dolls.....some are supposed to be scary, but most just reflect how I look at beauty. To me we have a very narrow view of what beauty is and is not. I have cerebral palsy and don't think I'm whining about it I'm not. I'm lucky my case is very mild compared to some people's. But you can pick me out as different, I walk awkwardly, but my arm and leg work correctly.....for someone with a partially paralyzed arm and leg.

I look like someone with CP is supposed to and in my way I'm attractive. I try to reflect alternative beauty in the dolls I create and so in some ways I'm still dealing with fear, but now it's not my own.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Bathroom Lurkers

Back when we were kids in the 60's Mike and I had the principals of our respective schools give us The Bathroom Lurkers or in Mike's case The Toilet Bums lecture.

**UPDATE: Holy crap! I just found the short film. It's scarier than I remember.  The Scary man video **I think there was even a short film about never going into a park bathroom alone. We always joked it was supposed to be dirty unshaven men in trench coats or something. Which obviously isn't usually the case in child assault cases.

Anyway, I have an odd story for you.

Mike and I had a nice lunch Saturday afternoon. We talked about movies and work and painting.  We were even chatting about the stories about the potty phobes cos we planned to pick up some things at Target on the way home.

So as I usually do after eating, I stopped by the restroom on the way out. As I came out of the stall a woman put her hand on my arm and asked me if I'd found Jesus.




Now honestly was I startled by being approached and touched by someone  I perceived to be a woman? No. I think what bothered me was the giant cross around her neck. I've had experiences with being told that as a person with a disability I was a tool of the devil or unclean.

Yeah, apparently there's some stupid thing about the deformed not being allowed near the altar in the Old Testament. Well, now we have science and stuff so we know about birth defects and genetic anomalies. So you are gonna have to get over that stuff. Human comes in a range of colors, sexualities, genders, limb counts and mental abilities.

Any way.....sorry I got ranting. Back to the woman with the giant cross. As all of the stuff in my rant was whirling about in my head she repeated "Have you found Jesus?"

I pulled away and started washing my hands and replied, "In the toilet? No I was alone." And walked out. Come to think of it, I hope she washed her hands too while she was skulking around in there.


Now I'm sure some of you are thinking that I was unfair to her, but I wasn't the one lurking in a bathroom. If that's leading by example I wasn't impressed. If you want to be mad at me being irritated here's a card to present me the next time you see me.







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