Thoughts for a Wednesday

Last night I had a most disturbing dream:  Raphaela and I were crossing an intersection in Teaneck, New Jersey, when she let go of my hand and started running ahead of me, in a way that clearly endangered her life.  She made it to the other side, but a white car hit another little boy and broke his leg, trying to avoid hitting my daughter.  As I stood and watched, I felt tremendous guilt, because somehow my child had led to this other boy's injury.

This morning, channeling my anxiety, I reviewed with Raphaela the entire pedestrian procedure IE how to cross the street, that she must hold Mommy's hand and that we only walk on the white lines.  I leave the interpretation to Freud.

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From the New York Times this morning, an article entitled, "Unmarried, over 30 and proud of it," by Didi Kirsten Tatlow:  "...single Chinese women in their mid to late 20's have endured being called 'shengu,' or 'leftover women,' by relatives, by the state-run media and by society."  Apparently, the variation of the meaning of the word in Chinese is "victorious" or "successful."

There are 20 million more men under 30 than women in China, because of the ability to choose the gender of a fetus, and in most cases, to abort if parents are 'disappointed' that they have conceived a girl.

Sounds like a eugenics policy out of a science fiction movie.  And if 25 is past its shelf life in China, then I am ancient.

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A woman called me at work today, explaining that her 13 year old daughter suffered from scoliosis, and asked if Chiropractic could help.  I answered that at this age and until the end of puberty, a lot of good could be accomplished, with a combination of Chiropractic adjustments, stretches and exercises at home, and monitoring.

Then the woman hesitated, before she added the information that her daughter was not like "other kids," but rather Special Needs, and did that affect her prognosis.  I assured the mother that I have worked successfully with both children and adults with special needs, and that in the long term it would not make a difference in my treatment.

The woman then hesitated again, and asked,

Mother:  Are you a religious woman?
Doc:  Why would you ask that?  What does that have to do with my professional credentials?
Mother:  My special needs daughter feels more comfortable around people who are religious.
Doc:  My personal observances are none of your business.  Whether or not I am religious, and whether or not that is relevant, I can tell you that I wear pants at work, if that offends you.  You can tell your daughter anything you want, if you think it will make the treatment more effective, but I am not going to dignify the question.

The woman than said she would get back to me, which means I will probably not hear from her ever again.

I have in fact helped children with Downs Syndrome and other special needs, and one thing I have consistently observed is that fact that these amazing human beings, no matter what their chronological age, behave in a way that is more open and more loving that most adults or kids.  In fact, they generally do not employ the selfish and misguided filters that roam through most of so-called civilized society.

If this 13 year old girl harbours a prejudice against the secular within Israel, it is only because her parents and environment have wrongfully instilled it, and to that I say, "Shame on you!  Shame on you!"