Not too long ago I went to a Celtics game. The Celtics are no longer the dynastic champions of my youth so tickets are fairly cheap and always available. I don't even know who they were playing, the other team was wearing blue I recall, but for two professional basketball teams it wasn't all that exciting to watch. Someone would score, someone would foul, someone would take a free throw and for the most part the crowd could care less. At halftime we were all pretty ambivalent about the outcome and a lot of folks were getting ready to call it a night. The halftime show that night? It was an exhibition by the Special Olympics basketball team.I don't have a lot of history in dealing with the disabled, but I have more than most. Part of my grade school education included a sensitivity to the handicapped program which changed forever the way I deal with the disabled. A disabled person would come into our class and we would talk with them. They would explain how they get by without being able to see, hear, missing arms, that sort of thing. They let us touch the stump where the arms used to be. After that we would do exercises so that we would know what it was like to be blind or deaf. I have to admit that I thought riding around in a wheelchair would be kind of fun until I tried it, and what a pain in the ass it was. We experienced the world very differently and in some cases rather unpleasantly. Part of the class included some instruction on how to communicate with the deaf - not full ASL, but at least how to look directly at them when you talk and write down exotic words like street names and how to walk with the blind. My interaction with the handicapped makes some people uncomfortable to watch because I tend to be very at ease and almost dismissive of their disabilities.
One night I spent a good deal of time talking with a blind fellow about minimalism. I had some questions about how he organized his home and prioritized his possessions. I had this idea that the minimalists home should be like that of the blind - that you should be able to find everything without being able to see. I admired the discipline that it required to keep a home in that state and told him so. Helen Keller learned to read and write using only the sense of touch, I could never be so strong. There is a lot of benefit to be had by understanding the special needs of the disabled. For example, imagine if ASL were taught to everyone, what an amazing linguistic dimension that would add to everyday life?
As for the Special Olympics basketball team, well they hit the court. A few people snickered, made some ignorant jokes, but probably just because they were nervous. They played very much the way you would imagine that the Special Olympics basketball team would play. Double dribbling, passing to the wrong team, a few slips here and there - but let me tell you...
When that ball hit the rim... rolled around a little and finally fell into the net... Boston Garden TOTALLY FUCKING EXPLODED! I am serious when I say that I have never heard a crowd cheer so loud for anything. The stadium shuddered with applause. Another point, more riotous cheering, then the other team scored - even louder! Seriously, that was the best basketball game ever, they played with real heart and up to this point I had never seen that before. The Special Olympics is totally fucking awesome.
