His Name is Barry

I wish I had a picture of Barry to show you. One look at his face would put a smile on yours. He resembles Popeye The Sailor Man. Decked out in his Carhart Jacket and his favorite cap; he has a smile on his face that won’t go away. Actually, I don’t think his smile can leave his face. For the 30-minutes he sat in Full City Coffee Shop near me the smile stayed.

I’ve met Barry before. He’s hearing impaired and has some mental challenges. As he sat with his caregivers from the Oregon Supported Living Program he carried on a conversation with his hands, fingers, eyes and that smile. I went over to say hi and he remembered me. So, right there in front of the entire coffee shop Barry and I had a conversation because we can. Sure, people look at you sort of funny. People with disabilities tend to bring discomfort to those who like to label themselves normal. It doesn’t bother me. In fact, I like it, I crave it, and I respect it. God tells us in the Bible to come to Him as a little child. People with disabilities instinctively understand this concept. They tend to judge less, smile more, and tell you exactly what they’re thinking. Embarrassment is not an emotion easily understood to those with special abilities.

Back to Barry: we talked about his crush on one of the women who works at Full City. He kept reminding me that I used to work on TV and he simply smiled.

I want to be more like Barry when I grow up. Okay, if I choose to grow up. I’m still undecided. Childish seems to be as close to childlike as I can get. Maybe I need to hang out with folks like Barry so I can grow up.