You and I can help handicapped people by letting them define happiness for themselves. We can make life more miserable for them if constantly remind them of how terrible we feel because of what they are missing. When we do that we are really saying to them: "Please get rid of your handicap because it makes me so uncomfortable."

Let me illustrate how differently abled people can be happy in their ignorance. Sometimes during a long Iowa winter, I walk to class in the morning and decide. "It's a nice day because I can feel the sun warming my back." Then some sighted person comes along and says, "It's such a dull, depressing day." To him it is dull because the sun is under the clouds. That doesn’t really destroy my happiness, and I do need to be aware that other people perceive the world in ways other than I do. I need to recognise that, just as I need to turn on lights in a room for the benefit of other even though I don’t need them. So I will continue to be happy about the warm sun while my friend is depressed by the gray clouds. And on other days, I will be depressed by the cold while he enjoys the bright, but cold, sunshine. We can each find happiness in our own way.

Is this so different from what happens to any of you? You are all missing out on some success or happiness. Your fathers are all disabled in some ways. Some of you are too short to be successful basketball players, and others of you are too scrawny to professional football players. Do you cry yourselves to sleep every night because of what you are missing? I doubt it.

You and I can help handicapped people by letting them define happiness for themselves. We can make life more miserable for them if constantly remind them of how terrible we feel because of what they are missing. When we do that we are really saying to them: "Please get rid of your handicap because it makes me so uncomfortable."

Let me illustrate how differently abled people can be happy in their ignorance. Sometimes during a long Iowa winter, I walk to class in the morning and decide. "It's a nice day because I can feel the sun warming my back." Then some sighted person comes along and says, "It's such a dull, depressing day." To him it is dull because the sun is under the clouds. That doesn’t really destroy my happiness, and I do need to be aware that other people perceive the world in ways other than I do. I need to recognise that, just as I need to turn on lights in a room for the benefit of other even though I don’t need them. So I will continue to be happy about the warm sun while my friend is depressed by the gray clouds. And on other days, I will be depressed by the cold while he enjoys the bright, but cold, sunshine. We can each find happiness in our own way.

Is this so different from what happens to any of you? You are all missing out on some success or happiness. Your fathers are all disabled in some ways. Some of you are too short to be successful basketball players, and others of you are too scrawny to professional football players. Do you cry yourselves to sleep every night because of what you are missing? I doubt it.

You and I can help handicapped people by letting them define happiness for themselves. We can make life more miserable for them if constantly remind them of how terrible we feel because of what they are missing. When we do that we are really saying to them: "Please get rid of your handicap because it makes me so uncomfortable."

Let me illustrate how differently abled people can be happy in their ignorance. Sometimes during a long Iowa winter, I walk to class in the morning and decide. "It's a nice day because I can feel the sun warming my back." Then some sighted person comes along and says, "It's such a dull, depressing day." To him it is dull because the sun is under the clouds. That doesn’t really destroy my happiness, and I do need to be aware that other people perceive the world in ways other than I do. I need to recognise that, just as I need to turn on lights in a room for the benefit of other even though I don’t need them. So I will continue to be happy about the warm sun while my friend is depressed by the gray clouds. And on other days, I will be depressed by the cold while he enjoys the bright, but cold, sunshine. We can each find happiness in our own way.

Is this so different from what happens to any of you? You are all missing out on some success or happiness. Your fathers are all disabled in some ways. Some of you are too short to be successful basketball players, and others of you are too scrawny to professional football players. Do you cry yourselves to sleep every night because of what you are missing? I doubt it.