(2/3) “School was hell. There were just a few of us in special...

(2/3)  “School was hell.  There were just a few of us in special education and they taught us in the basement.  They offered to let me stay until I was twenty-one, but I wanted out.  So I went to a workshop for people with intellectual and physical disabilities.  Vietnam was going on back then, so we were making lots of bomb stuff.  And we made it for cheap.  I got a six dollar check for two weeks of work.  I was still very rough back then.  I was angry.  And one morning I took a hammer to a guy for picking on me.  The bosses called me to the office.  I thought for sure they’d throw me out.  But my counselor said: ‘I’ve seen you running to work every day.  And think I have something you’re going to like.’  He handed me a piece of paper and told me to take it home.  My mom didn’t like it.  She didn’t want me joining anything that cost money.  But when she noticed the line that said ‘free to participate,’ she crumpled up the piece of paper and put it in her pocket.  I thought she’d forgotten about it.  But early Saturday morning she started knocking on my door, and said: ‘You need to wake up and go to that damn Special Olympics!’”
(Special Olympics World Games, Abu Dhabi, UAE)