Eating lunch with the “retarded” kids

In high school, I ate lunch with my friends at the band table in the cafeteria. Actually, there were a lot of band kids, so this was the second band table from the salad bar. My sophomore year, the first day of school, I was sitting there with all my girlfriends, trying to be as cool as sophomore band girls can be. And then, the special needs teacher walked up… and asked us if it would be ok if her class sat with us.

In case you’ve never been to high school (?!?!), this is the kiss of death socially. To sit with the “retarded” kids? EVERY DAY? Seriously, who would do that?

We did.

I’m not saying we loved it, or did it because we were so saintly. I think we just didn’t know how to say no. But for three years, I ate lunch at that table every day with my band gals and the special ed kids. Even now, sometimes I go back to my hometown and see one of those “kids” grabbing carts at Walmart, or wiping tables at a restaurant. And when I see them, I’m glad I was kind to them when I was a stupid high school girl, whether I really intended to be kind or not.

Today, two of those band gals, the ones who sat at that lunch table with me every day, have daughters with special needs. One of them, my friend Jeneen, has a daughter who goes to school at The Little Lighthouse in Tulsa, OK.

The kids at The Little Lighthouse are there tuition free. With trained and licensed staff, who will voluntarily take a hold on pay if there is not enough money. They receive no federal or United Way funding.
Over 150 kids are waiting to get in right now, and it’s a 2-year wait.

Earlier today, Jeneen, mommy of a Little Lighthouse student, and possible the nicest, sweetest, kindest, meekest person ever to walk God’s green earth, got kicked out of the Promenade Mall in Tulsa for asking people to vote for The Little Lighthouse in the Kohl’s Cares Facebook contest. She thought she had permission from the right people, but I guess no-one told the security guard. Please believe me when I say that Jeneen is practically as nice as Mother Teresa, and way cuter. I can’t imagine anyone throwing her out of ANYWHERE.

Why was Jeneen harassing people at the mall? The winner of this contest – and make no mistake, it’s a popularity contest – wins $500,000 for their school. Imagine what a difference it would make to the special needs children and their families. Imagine how many kids from the waiting list could get in!

Please, please, pretty please, vote for The Little Lighthouse in the Kohl’s Cares Facebook contest. Do it now. Even if you have another school you are supporting, you can vote for more than one school. Let’s keep Jeneen’s daughter in school, and Jeneen on the right side of the law.