Fun Day!

On Saturday, I helped my dad out for another Rotary event. It was a Fun Day for handicapped people, at Forest Farm. It is a highlight on the Sandton Rotary calendar.

A lot of people have asked me how I can do it, because it is so heartbreaking. I must admit that for the first 10 minutes, it is. It is a bit disconcerting seeing people who are physically adults but mentally children. Under normal circumstances and with ‘normal’ people, they may seem threatening and too touchy, but taking all the circumstances into account, they are just friendly people who like to meet anyone new.

Their happiness and enjoyment of the games rubs off on you. The heartbreak is over and you just enjoy yourself. It is an amazing experience. They are a community and everyone looks out for everyone else. They have their cliques and girlfriends and boyfriends, just like any social group. All it takes is a couple minutes to listen to someone to realise they are really quite normal and understand what’s going on.

My dad got roped into pushing a huge guy around in a wheelchair for the day… he was easily the size of Victor Matfield. It was extremely entertaining! He even did a potato race and the egg and spoon race (my dad pushing the chair up a hill and the guy (Walter) sitting with the potatoes and egg in his lap. Good training for Everest!

But the highlight of the day was the Harleys. They come every year and are a hot favourite! People who have difficulty walking will run to greet them. They take people on the back of their bikes around a field. This is where you will find the biggest smiles! And of course, boys with their arms in the air showing how brave they are. Typical! I took a couple kids (naturally) to wait for their turns and reassure them that it would be safe. You should’ve seen their faces!

I would have to say that this is one of the most satisfying, feel-good things I have done in a while. The 5 minutes of heartbreak are forgotten and replaced with that warm fuzzy feeling (I still feel it!) It’s also a highlight on my calendar and I’m looking forward to the next one.