If you follow Advitya
on any of its social media pages or if you have ever visited here, you probably
have an idea of how happening a place this is. Every day brings with it a
plethora of wonderful moments of laughter, frolicsome activities and profound lessons.
The first and probably the single most important thing that I learned spending
time here was how clueless I was throughout my life, like any average person,
about the daily struggles of persons with special needs. It is truly astounding
to notice just how many things in life we take for granted and how often we
fail to recognize the challenges faced by others.
Therefore I was
certain that a day spent outdoors with Advitya - especially at a place like
Aquamagica - was bound to bring with it a lot of fun, challenges and
insights.
Early in the morning of
August 23rd, dressed proudly in their characteristic fluorescent
green and bright orange ‘Advitya’ T-Shirts, Team Advitya set forth on a journey
to a world of giant water slides and wave pools.
To be honest, I was
slightly worried in the beginning. Worried, not for the students, but for the
volunteers among us. It just seemed too heavy a task to manage more than twenty
special students for a day in a potentially hazardous environment like a water
park. In retrospect, I can clearly see that my fear had more to do with my
inexperience and the novelty of it all than anything else. Also, it is worth
mentioning that something similar happens with “normal” people when they
interact with specially gifted people for the first time. We tend to
underestimate their emotional intelligence and their ability to adapt to
changing circumstances.
My personal favorite
experience through the trip, hands down, had to be dancing in the wave pool
with my special friends. I can never forget the expressions of joy all around
me. At the end of the day, not many of my specially abled friends could
articulate exactly how they felt, but I could see by the jolly faces and
shattering cries of laughter that every one of them loved it as much as I did.
Yes, on the way back, sleep and fatigue overcame everyone but it was all worth
it, because we were carrying with us a bagful of sweet and happy memories to
cherish for a lifetime.
I encourage anyone
reading this blog who might hold any reservations, to make an effort to connect
with every specially gifted person you might come across. Once you cross that
barrier, you will surely be overwhelmed, to the point of tears, not just by the
exhibition of heroic courage and spirit before your eyes but also by the shower
of love and generosity that will come your way.
My name is Abhishek Vidhate and I am 19 years
old. For almost three months now, I have been working at Advitya as an
intern.
Photo courtesy : https://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/promise-of-humanity-poetry-prompt.jpg
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