Attitudes.

I've always thought my attitudes weren't bad. I like most people and give them a chance when I meet them.

See, this thought came to my head last weekend. It was the weekend of Melbourne Grand Prix and a good friend of mine, who works with charities, needed my help with an event he was running.

As far as I knew, I was helping set up some video games for a party that was overlooking the big race. So, racing games it was for the xboxes. I knew the kids that were coming were refugees from war torn countries, but i didn't put 2 and 2 together until they got there.

These kids had all been in serious accidents and were handicapped in one way or another (I hope I'm being politically correct, I'm sorry if I'm not).

I was like, oh crap how can a guy without any fingers play an xbox game? (Considering the controls have more buttons than a microwave)

Anyways, we took the kids into a room where the video games were set up and they were really stoked to see them. One who took a liking to me, Emmanuel, wheeled up behind me and jumped on a seat next to me.

Emmanuel, from memory, was dumped by his mother with his brother (Ahmed who was also there) because they were both deformed when born. (I might not be right on the specifics but its close to that.) Emmanuel was born with only half of one leg, three fingers on one hand, and kinda a stump of a thumb on the other.

So, I was fully racking my brain on how he was going to drive a car on this xbox game.

Well...really well. That's how he did. His dexterity was phenomenal with it. I felt really ashamed on the inside thinking that he couldn't do it. Plus his attitude, man, he really kicked me one.

This is a guy (early teens) that lives life to the fullest. I read a book recently and it was saying that disabled people live life how we should. Taking every day as an opportunity, and just being thankful for everything.

Emmanuel did this. Always congratulating, encouraging, talking, helping. Heck he didn't shut up. But it wasn't an annoying way. He was just wanting to be in everything and see everyone enjoying themselves.

Did my attitude suck? No. But was it shown up? Totally.

I've thought of Emmanuel over the last week when I haven't felt like doing things, or through my conversations with others.

Sometimes its good to be shown up.....

PS: And you can now reach this blog by my new address http://blog.mattatkins.com/ - yeah full of myself hey?