About a month ago, I was craving a churro, a fried piece of rolled Mexican dough, covered in cinnamon and sugar. But not just any churro. A Disneyland churro, since everyone knows they sprinkle pure, unadulterated magic on them as well. I told my friend Rose about my craving and she told me about a special Greyhound Bus was running, where you leave Friday night from Tucson, arrive at Disneyland on Saturday morning, and then, when the Cinderella clock strikes midnight, it heads on back to Tucson. It seemed like a perfectly good way to spend a weekend, and so I was all for it.
The following day, Rose told me she talked to her friend Erin about our trip, and Erin asked if she and her daughter could go as well. When she asked her boss for the time off, Erin's boss asked her if she wouldnt mind taking a client with her. Erin works with mentally challenged people, and the client in mind was Faye, a twenty-three year old with cerebral palsley and alcohol fetal syndrome. And if Erin took Faye, the company for which she worked for would pay for two-day Disney Hopper passes for everyone, our hotel, our food, gas, and would even provide us with a vehicle. It seemed like a really good deal. The only thing is...I didnt know how I would do with a retarded person for over 72 hours.
I'll admit it. I make fun of them. Not every day, mind you, but like most people, when I make fun of mentally retarded people, it comes in sporadic un-PC moments. Like when I watch There's Something About Mary and Warren comes on the screen. Or when I "walk" and "talk" like them. I've even used the word, "retarded" when refering to something or someone as "dumb." I know I'm not the only one, but it made me wonder if I could be around someone like that without being mean. Trust me, I did a lot of soul searching, and in the end, I decided to go, flaws and all, because I figured it would be good learning experience for me.
We left on Saturday night. Me, Rose, her daughter Dami, Erin, her daughter Micky, and her client Faye. The Expedition SUV we were supposed to have didnt pass inspections, so the company gave us what seemed like the world's smallest mini-van. We were packed inside. Seriously. Mostly because Erin decided to bring 20 dolls and stuffed animals for Micky, along with a suitcase filled with shoes because Micky couldnt decide which shoes she wanted to wear when she met the Disney princesses. And if that wasnt bad, Faye brought enough generic pads to fill all the bathrooms in Disneyland, despite the fact she wasnt on her period. According to Erin, Faye just liked being prepared.
Eight, very long hours later, we arrived in Anaheim. The sun was just coming up, just as the hotel front desk was letting us down. Our room was not available, therefore, we had to change in the bathroom of the lobby and prepare for a day at Disneyland. I wont bore you with all the details, but somewhere between Fantasyland and New Orleans Square, Erin had a mental breakdown. She was torn between helping Faye get around, while making sure her daughter was having a fantastic time. We tried to offer our help, but Erin kept insisting it was her responsibility and her burden to bare and spent the next half hour in the bathroom crying. By four in the afternoon, we had only ridden 3 rides and visited seven shops, where Erin casually spent over $500 on toys for her daughter. "I just cant say no to my little princess!" she said.
We then had a late lunch at the Rainforest Cafe, where Micky and Dami soon fell fast asleep, prompting the moms to end our meal early and take the girls back to the hotel. We spent the rest of the day in the hotel, eating bad Italian takeout and watching the fireworks from our balcony.
The next morning, we had reservations for a character breakfast with Lilo & Stitch at seven in the morning. We arrived two and a half hours later, giving us only a half hour to enjoy breakfast and the Disney characters that wandered around the restaurant. By the time breakfast ended, we had lost half a day, and we hadnt even spent time in a Disney park. When we did spend time in the park, most of it was spent in the stores, where Erin continued to buy her daughter's love and affection with toy after toy after toy. Even though Faye was in her early 20's, she still had the mind of a nine year old, and seeing Micky getting every toy she pointed to, made her jealous and cry for her own toys. And when people look at you with a mentally challenged person wearing a plastic light-up crown in a wheelchair cry her heart out for a small Minnie Mouse doll, it doesnt look good.
Up until then, I had done really well with Faye. She kept to herself and only got excited when a real-life cartoon character walked down the street. I hadnt once even made fun of her, which, believe me, was a very big thing for me. And it was funny, because after all those years of "talking" like a retard, I was able to comprehend everything Faye said, even better than Erin. Except when she made an "O" with her left thumb and fingers and put her right finger in the hole and swirled it around (I dont even wanna know what that meant!). But towards the end, the Faye Erin knew started to come out. A mean-spirited and selfish girl, who knew more than what she let on. Feeling my thigh up and down while laughing, was totally not an accident. Neither was spilling that ice cream cone with the strawberry sauce on my lap.
By the end of the trip, I had been sexually harassed, had ridden only seven rides total, had a smile plastered on my face for over 84 hours, and had $200 taken from a Scottsdale ATM using my debit card (still trying to figure that one out). Erin smoked three cartons of cigarettes, drank over ten Starbucks decaf skinny soy venti caramel macchiatos, and spent well over $1500 on nothing but toys for her daughter, which I feel caused her daughter to miss out on the magic that is Disney. Micky never got to see any of the Disney princesses, ride any of the memorable Fantasy Dark Rides or even get to see Mickey Mouse himself! She only knew the corporate and merchandise part of Disney, which is not something you're supposed to see until you're a little bit older. I believe childhood is fleeting and so it's best to hold on to innocence for as long as possible. And somehow, Erin managed to blame it all on Faye and the fact she had to spend half her time taking care of her.
It was a horrible trip and I just felt bad for everybody. For Erin not knowing how to say "No" to her daughter or realizing her own faults. For Micky being a spoiled brat and constantly calling everyone, even complete strangers, "Poopy Head" or "Booger Face". For Rose, who was so embarassed by her friends actions, she spologized what seemed like every half hour. For Dami, who was manipulated many times by Micky, to do stuff she wouldnt normally do. For Faye being stuck in a wheelchair and wanting what she couldnt have. Mainly me. Maybe that's why I'm volunteering a day of my life at Faye's home.
The following day, Rose told me she talked to her friend Erin about our trip, and Erin asked if she and her daughter could go as well. When she asked her boss for the time off, Erin's boss asked her if she wouldnt mind taking a client with her. Erin works with mentally challenged people, and the client in mind was Faye, a twenty-three year old with cerebral palsley and alcohol fetal syndrome. And if Erin took Faye, the company for which she worked for would pay for two-day Disney Hopper passes for everyone, our hotel, our food, gas, and would even provide us with a vehicle. It seemed like a really good deal. The only thing is...I didnt know how I would do with a retarded person for over 72 hours.
I'll admit it. I make fun of them. Not every day, mind you, but like most people, when I make fun of mentally retarded people, it comes in sporadic un-PC moments. Like when I watch There's Something About Mary and Warren comes on the screen. Or when I "walk" and "talk" like them. I've even used the word, "retarded" when refering to something or someone as "dumb." I know I'm not the only one, but it made me wonder if I could be around someone like that without being mean. Trust me, I did a lot of soul searching, and in the end, I decided to go, flaws and all, because I figured it would be good learning experience for me.
We left on Saturday night. Me, Rose, her daughter Dami, Erin, her daughter Micky, and her client Faye. The Expedition SUV we were supposed to have didnt pass inspections, so the company gave us what seemed like the world's smallest mini-van. We were packed inside. Seriously. Mostly because Erin decided to bring 20 dolls and stuffed animals for Micky, along with a suitcase filled with shoes because Micky couldnt decide which shoes she wanted to wear when she met the Disney princesses. And if that wasnt bad, Faye brought enough generic pads to fill all the bathrooms in Disneyland, despite the fact she wasnt on her period. According to Erin, Faye just liked being prepared.
Eight, very long hours later, we arrived in Anaheim. The sun was just coming up, just as the hotel front desk was letting us down. Our room was not available, therefore, we had to change in the bathroom of the lobby and prepare for a day at Disneyland. I wont bore you with all the details, but somewhere between Fantasyland and New Orleans Square, Erin had a mental breakdown. She was torn between helping Faye get around, while making sure her daughter was having a fantastic time. We tried to offer our help, but Erin kept insisting it was her responsibility and her burden to bare and spent the next half hour in the bathroom crying. By four in the afternoon, we had only ridden 3 rides and visited seven shops, where Erin casually spent over $500 on toys for her daughter. "I just cant say no to my little princess!" she said.
We then had a late lunch at the Rainforest Cafe, where Micky and Dami soon fell fast asleep, prompting the moms to end our meal early and take the girls back to the hotel. We spent the rest of the day in the hotel, eating bad Italian takeout and watching the fireworks from our balcony.
The next morning, we had reservations for a character breakfast with Lilo & Stitch at seven in the morning. We arrived two and a half hours later, giving us only a half hour to enjoy breakfast and the Disney characters that wandered around the restaurant. By the time breakfast ended, we had lost half a day, and we hadnt even spent time in a Disney park. When we did spend time in the park, most of it was spent in the stores, where Erin continued to buy her daughter's love and affection with toy after toy after toy. Even though Faye was in her early 20's, she still had the mind of a nine year old, and seeing Micky getting every toy she pointed to, made her jealous and cry for her own toys. And when people look at you with a mentally challenged person wearing a plastic light-up crown in a wheelchair cry her heart out for a small Minnie Mouse doll, it doesnt look good.
Up until then, I had done really well with Faye. She kept to herself and only got excited when a real-life cartoon character walked down the street. I hadnt once even made fun of her, which, believe me, was a very big thing for me. And it was funny, because after all those years of "talking" like a retard, I was able to comprehend everything Faye said, even better than Erin. Except when she made an "O" with her left thumb and fingers and put her right finger in the hole and swirled it around (I dont even wanna know what that meant!). But towards the end, the Faye Erin knew started to come out. A mean-spirited and selfish girl, who knew more than what she let on. Feeling my thigh up and down while laughing, was totally not an accident. Neither was spilling that ice cream cone with the strawberry sauce on my lap.
By the end of the trip, I had been sexually harassed, had ridden only seven rides total, had a smile plastered on my face for over 84 hours, and had $200 taken from a Scottsdale ATM using my debit card (still trying to figure that one out). Erin smoked three cartons of cigarettes, drank over ten Starbucks decaf skinny soy venti caramel macchiatos, and spent well over $1500 on nothing but toys for her daughter, which I feel caused her daughter to miss out on the magic that is Disney. Micky never got to see any of the Disney princesses, ride any of the memorable Fantasy Dark Rides or even get to see Mickey Mouse himself! She only knew the corporate and merchandise part of Disney, which is not something you're supposed to see until you're a little bit older. I believe childhood is fleeting and so it's best to hold on to innocence for as long as possible. And somehow, Erin managed to blame it all on Faye and the fact she had to spend half her time taking care of her.
It was a horrible trip and I just felt bad for everybody. For Erin not knowing how to say "No" to her daughter or realizing her own faults. For Micky being a spoiled brat and constantly calling everyone, even complete strangers, "Poopy Head" or "Booger Face". For Rose, who was so embarassed by her friends actions, she spologized what seemed like every half hour. For Dami, who was manipulated many times by Micky, to do stuff she wouldnt normally do. For Faye being stuck in a wheelchair and wanting what she couldnt have. Mainly me. Maybe that's why I'm volunteering a day of my life at Faye's home.
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