Two young boys, one disabled, the other one not, share how they became friends and tell other kids how to become friends with other kids who may not be like them.
They also write about bullying and bullies and the dangers associated with bullies and bullying; and why it has become a serious problem nowadays.
*The reason why I dedicated this story to Grady Morrison is because he often writes about being bullied and how to overcome it and move on. So, Grady..this story is for you! Enjoy!
Johnny:
I have been friends with Jose' Varquez about two years or so; and he is my very best friend. We met at school one day when I was having a very bad day, and he came up to me and asked me if I wanted to be his friend. It didn't matter to him that I was in a wheelchair or couldn't walk without crutches; all he saw was that I needed a friend, and this was how we became friends. Now we are very best friends, and we can't imagine our lives without one another.
Jose':
I met Johnny in third grade. I remember that day because he was being teased, and I kind of felt sorry for the kid. Here was this kid, sitting in a wheelchair, looking for all the saddest and loneliest kid in the world, and I really felt bad for him, so I decided right then and there that I was going to be his friend, and so I went up to him and asked. He really looked so unhappy, and I wanted to make him feel a little better by going up to him, which was what I did.
That was two years ago. We are now in fifth grade.
Now Johnny and I are almost like brothers, and he is like the brother I wish I had. (I am an only kid.) He is funny, and he can burp better than anyone I know. He also loves to tell jokes, and he really can play those video games; I can't even beat him at the games, and if there is one thing I am good at, it's VIDEO GAMES! (Laughs.)
Johnny:
I am glad Jose' and I are friends because he doesn't have any brothers or sisters of his own; so I am sure he gets rather lonesome at times. Sometimes, after school, he comes over to my house, and my mommy kind of adopted him as one of her own; she treats him like another son, which is hilarious, because she already has a bunch of kids of her own! My mommy has something like forty million kids of her own...well, maybe not THAT many, but it is DEFINITELY more than 20! (Laughs.)
Jose':
Johnny exaggerates a bit too much, if you ask me...(Laughs.)
His mom is really nice, and she doesn't mind my coming over; but she is a real stickler about leaving my shoes on the floor, especially if they are muddy or wet. She hates to have a messy house; and I kind of don't blame her, with all the handicapped kids running about..
I don't mind that Johnny is in a wheelchair or can't walk as well as I do..it just makes him more interesting to be around; but it doesn't make him any less of a person. If anything, being around someone like Johnny has taught me about patience, perserverance, courage, and succeeding in whatever he sets out to do. He is in a wheelchair because he has muscular dystrophy, which is making his muscles turn weak; but he gets a lot of extra help from his family, or from his dog; or even from me. He needs help with buttoning his clothes or getting stuff from shelves; or if he drops something. He also needs help with his hair and teeth, but his mom does that. He also needs help with getting to and from his desk or to and from his wheelchair to something like the slide or swingset or something like that, and he walks with arm crutches and leg braces; but he is the most determined little guy I have ever seen; and nothing seems to stop him or get in his way. Chances are, if he wants to do something, he will find a way to do it..and that is a PROMISE!
Johnny:
Jose' is a really good kid. He is always saying stuff like that, like I am his hero or something. That is embarrassing. I don't think I am anyone special, and I don't see why I have to be treated as such because I am in a WHEELCHAIR..if anything, that kind of makes me MAD because all I want is people to treat me NORMALLY and NOT pay attention to my wheelchair, or my helping dog, or my braces! I am a KID first, and my disabilities are only a VERY SMALL PART of me!
But I AM glad that we are friends. Jose' is very considerate, and he is a fantastic basketball player. He wants to be a basketball player when he gets big, and he wants to possibly get into the majors. With the talent he has now at age 11, it's possible that he just may make it by the time he gets out of college!
Jose':
Kids sometimes ask my friend Johnny why we are friends to one another, and nothing makes me madder than heck; but I feel that Johnny is a kid too, just like I am, and just because he is in a wheelchair doesn't mean he can't have friends! But too many times, kids don't treat him nice because OF this, and this really makes me mad. I also get mad when kids tease him; but thankfully, now that he has some friends, the teasing isn't nearly as bad as it used to be, thank goodness.
Kids used to tease Johnny something awful because he IS handicapped; but I have learned to look BEYOND the outside appearance, and I look INSIDE; and what I see in Johnny is a very nice, somewhat shy, but friendly kid with a very good heart inside, and I like him because he is good at doing many things, and he is a lot of fun to be with. As I said before, he is a very good burper, and he loves to tell a good joke; and he always manages to make me laugh. When I am having a bad day, that can always help, and he always somehow makes me feel better.
Johnny:
That's why Jose' and I have remained such good friend even now: he has learned to look on the inside, and not worry about my muscular dystrophy or whatever problems I may have because of it. He just takes one day at a time, and all he worries about is that I am happy and he is happy.
When kids meet other kids, it isn't always successful because kids are different: kids can be fat or thin, disabled or not, brown, black, tan, yellow, or white, of different religious faiths, or whatnot; and sometimes this makes other kids tease them. Teasing is always wrong, no matter who is being teased or WHY; and being teased kinda' has made me shy, and I don't trust new people when I meet them for the very first time because of what I have had to go through until I met Jose' two years ago. Sometimes teasing gets physical, and kids can get very badly hurt if they aren't careful. One time, a little girl in my class got her head hurt when a kid pushed her off the swings, and she landed on her head. She ended up in the hospital for a few days, and everyone was so scared that she would die; but she did not. She is now back in school, but now nobody dares tease her or anyone, for fear that something worse will happen. Ever since then, our school has a rule about bullying, and it is something that will NOT be tolerated. They are really starting to get serious about stopping this bullying, and I am glad because bullying has gotten way out of hand, and sometimes kids end up getting killed, like they did in Colorado, at that high school in Columbine when 12 kids were killed and one teacher was killed by two teenaged kids who had enough of getting picked on; and they couldn't take any more, and they snapped.
Jose':
Bullying HAS gotten out of hand; and this is why our school has a zero tolerance about bullying. They are teaching kids about the dangers of bullying, and I think kids are finally starting to get the message, especially since we started doing a play about bullying; and I think kids are starting to think twice once they see this play.
Now our teachers and principal are having weekly meetings with kids after school that they can attend if they wish; and at these meetings, we talk about what is going on, and we talk about things like cliques, how it feels to be left out of a crowd, or how it feels to be teased; and it's helped a lot of kids open up and get out bad or hurting feelings they may have been holding in for a long time; and in the end, they usually end up feeling a lot better than they did before they started coming to these meetings.
The meetings teach us about what to look for if a kid is being bullied and how to be involved without getting involved in fighting or violence; and if we can't stop what is going on, then we get a teacher, a principal, or another adult to intervene; and our school has the "three-strike rule": if you get caught bullying, you get a written warning and a note to take home to your parents. If you are caught bullying a second time, you get a week's detention. And finally, the biggie: if you get caught bullying a third time, then you are expelled or sent to another school, or if you are really bad, to Juvvie Hall; and that is one place you DON'T want to go! (I hear they eat kids for breakfast!)
Johnny:
Now that you know what to do if you are being bullied and what happens at my school, I feel so much happier because I don't get teased anymore; and I am glad those bad days are finally behind me. I couldn't help being in a wheelchair or having problems with reading and stuff; but now that I got the needed help, I am doing much better, and now kids no longer tease me, especially since the "zero tolerance" about bullies and bullying went into effect.
This is why Jose' and I are talking to you now because we both have been bullied, and we know what it is like; and we want to prevent other kids from getting the same. Bullying hurts, and it is something that MUST NOT be tolerated..EVER! It is a very serious problem, and too many times, kids end up getting badly hurt, or worse, permanently disabled or DEAD as a result of bullying. It is something that MUST be stopped; and the sooner the problem is dealt with, the BETTER, and the happier and SAFER kids will be in the long run!
Nice write Karen. Though sadly it is true that one can be bullied regardless of circumstance. I was lucky, I was far too big for anyone to contemplate bullying me, but not everyone was that fortunate.
Reviewed by Carol Chapman
1/18/2004
What a talent you have for capturing the essence of these two young men. "He is funny, and he can burp better than anyone I know" is exactly how a fifth grader would describe his friend. Your writing style of having them speak and build on each other's statements is pefect for the subject and underscores the need for friends by all.
Hello Karen,
As always written with insight and feeling, You caprure the essence of the story and write as from first hand experience. Well written regards John W
Young Sasha, a little bear orphaned as a cub, finds new friendships as he struggles to realize his potential. But as he does so, danger awaits in the jaws of an evil wolf * the much feared * Rasputin. In his time of need, can Sasha overcome his fears
