Passion ~ Part one

Passion...a friend passed a quote along to me three years ago from an unknown source that went like this,"Your passion (drive/motivation) in life comes from the place you've been hurt the most." I had forgotten all about it until recently. Meanwhile, whenever the question was asked at church,"What is your passion?" I somehow knew the "right" answer had to be something that included Jesus or God in it. I kind of felt that's what they wanted to hear. Yet the answer that came immediately to the forefront of my mind was always "To give those who have no voice or cannot speak for themselves a chance to be heard." Definitely not such a churchy answer. I have worked with children having special needs for many years now and nothing gave me a sense of satisfaction and happiness more than finding a form of communication by which the individual could finally have a say which impacted their daily life. Not just choosing from someone else's idea of choices. That was no small feat considering some were blind, others unable to control the smallest part of their body independently and many totally non-verbal. However not everybody feels so strongly about this issue. Over the years I would become very frustrated when I saw time being wasted as activities were given as busywork to occupy the students instead of pursuing something which could be life changing...such as finding a means of communication that they might use for being able to say what they wanted or needed when they wanted or needed it. I express my ideas very readily and when others don't quite catch the vision I don't give up...I just put it in terms that they might understand better such as "Why don't you put duct tape over your mouth and see how your behavior takes a turn for the worse by the end of the day?" This is not the best way to make friends and influence people!