In reference to our mother tongue…

What name do you use to refer to a person who is mentally challenged or has a mental disorder in your mother tongue?

I have never thought much about it…

However today, I was somewhere with someone. We had the opportunity to see an autistic boy. The person next to me looked at me and asked me in mother tongue “nyathino nus” (huyo mtoto ni nusu), in English (that boy is half) . I was disgusted so I said how do you refer to a human being like that, that’s an insult. Then she clarified and said “OK ochiek”, Swahili (hajaiva), English (he’s uncooked). Really????

I was even more irritated.

I explained and said, he is just different, as you can see, he is the best player in his team. Without him in his team, they perform dismally. Now, think about it, how do you describe (especially in mother tongue) people who are not like you when you are in the presence of those you think are like you?

Closer home, think about those who don’t belong to your race, your tribe, your gender, your social group, those who don’t do things like you do etc., how do you describe them?

Being different does not make one incomplete, uncooked, insufficient, unworthy, undeserving, cursed e.t.c. Its just DIFFERENT and can be embraced.

We should learn to embrace people who are not like us. Imagine a world with people just like you. Where would spouses, siblings, friends, enemies, come from. Even the people we hate or detest add value to our lives. We actually work hard because of our enemies and not so much our friends. Our foes are the wind below our wings. Those who may be physically different in comparison to ourselves, help us appreciate ourselves… Those who are better than us in some things keep us humble. Even the least in society adds value.

If the sweeper does not sweep, we would walk on dirty places. If the guard does not take care of our security, those who are out to harm us can get to us. We even turn out to vote because we do not want a different (not our own) to win. Meaning, we do not vote just because of our own but because we need to out do the one who is different. So its not the politician who makes you exercise your right to vote, its the people you perceive as belonging to a place you don’t belong. Many things make us different. Let’s chose what matters e.g. ideas. Treat others with respect. Don’t hate. Don’t despise. Embrace different. Different is good for us.