A young girl writes about herself as part of a school assignment.
Hi! Or, as they say down here in Texas, Howdy!! :)
My name's Leslie. I am nine years old; I live in Crockett, Texas, with my mama, daddy, and two little sisters, Evonne (six) and Rachel (four).
I am in the third grade; I do very well at school. School has always been very easy for me.
Some of the things I like to do include country dancing, going to country shows or Oprys, singing (I want to be a famous country singer when I grow up; my favorite is Loretta Lynn!), draw, write stories, read, play with my sisters, and go to Louisiana to see my cousins, uncle, and aunt. (We go to Louisiana several times a year, like at July Fourth and again at Christmas.)
I also love Cajun music. My favorite band is BeauSoleil; I've seen them a couple of times, and they're great!
Another singer I like is Tony Booth. Most people have never heard of him, but I think he's great! He's cute too, even though he has white hair and a beard; he's an old man, but he can sing very well. I've seen him, too, and he's nice!
I am not disabled, but I have a cousin who is. Her name is Shelbi, and she is six, like my sister Evonne. She is in a wheelchair and cannot walk. I don't know what's wrong with her; what she has is too long for me to be able to say. :) I feel sad for Shelbi 'cause she can't do what I can; she's missing out on a lot!
Being with Shelbi has taught me that just because a person can't walk or is in a wheelchair, that doesn't mean they're stupid. Shelbi happens to be very smart! She can beat me at Crazy Eights, and she knows all the old country songs, just like me.
Well, I am going to go. I hope to write in here again; I'd love to tell you more about myself! I think I have a very happy life! Take care, and may God bless you always!
~Love, your new friend, Leslie Michaeyla Babineaux, aged nine.
It is sad that many people think that a disability makes people ignorant. There is so much more to a person than their disability. Children see beyond the other's disability. Wish more adults were like them.
I like the way she relates to Selbi, picks up on the strengths of her wee character. As an aside, my previous husband was in a wheel chair for some time before he passed away, and when we went out to dinner the steward would invariably place the bill in front of me instead of my husband. Demeaning for him and heart aching for me. Love this beginning of a new story. Blessings, J'nia
"...because she is in a wheelchair doesn't meat she's stupid..." well Leslie, many grown up still believe it, like when they meet with people which have another country language tend to shout "HOW-ARE-YOU?!" like they are deaf and not foreigners.
Children gets the vibes pretty quickly.
I swear a little nine your old climbed into your lovely head and created this masterpiece...If she is still there, tell her what a great job she did...you too my friend...love and hugs, Bonnie
Are you getting email notifications from those you track...???I'm not, I've got to go on a treasure hunt to find them...
I love BeauSoleil, too, as you know. :) Michael Doucet is one heck of a fiddle player and boy, can he make that thing cry or dance! And I like how she introduces Shelbi. Well done!
Very nice Karen. To be able to discuss disabilities on the level of a nine year old takes talent. I'm afraid I would use words that are not in a nine year olds vocabulary. Nice work! Kathy
Reviewed by Flying Fox Ted L Glines
2/5/2009
Leslie (with BeauSoleil) has awesome taste in Cajun music!!! I like her recognition that her wheelchaired friend is smart (that is a start). I truly do not believe that there is any such thing as a disabled person; they will be enabled in areas which more than make up for any disabilities. I absolutely loved Tommy (deaf, dumb, and blind kid ... sure plays a mean pinball) -- fictional example of actual things I have seen in real life. My absolute hero happens to be a "totally disabled" man: His terrible disease, ALS, has left him completely paralyzed and he only speaks with a synthesized voice. The degenerative disease is called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which damages the nerve cells in the spinal cord that control the body's voluntary muscles. When diagnosed with it at the age of 22, he was given just a few years to live. What could you expect from someone like that? Stephen Hawking is famous for his contributions in fields of cosmology, relativity and quantum physics related to black holes. Disabled? I think not :-)
This is a wonderfully performed 7 CD Children's audio book, made up of three books from the "Run, Rasputin. Run!" series of books. Expertly narrated by Pat Fraley. Your entire family will enjoy these exceptional tales!
