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When you're being shouted "HEY! BALDY!"
It is a normal thing now for me to deal with certain insensitive comments by members of the public occasionally (once in two weeks or in a month) and thankfully I dont easily get depressed or hurt over them as often as I used to compared to a couple of years ago.
I was reading a post in Alopecia World about coping with alopecia and dealing with all the insensitive (OR stupid) statments being made and I am reminded of an ordeal that happened to me a couple of days ago when I was walking past a grocery store.
A couple of high school kids...shouted at me by "HEY! BALDY!" (across the street)
I was telling myself immediately in my mind that "I dont need to respond to uncivilized people" (ignoring them). It sounded crude and unfair for them that I labelled them as "Uncivilized" as they do not understand about alopecia areata. Obviously I was lazy to educate them either , probably I will be teased further about it if I do.
Sometimes, I just deeply wonder why some young, good looking, spiky cool hair styled, tall high school kids would want to pick on a short, bald and soon to hit a quarter century years old guy?
Do you know when sometimes you wish that people like them getting alopecia areata themselves one day?...many of us been through that...dont we?
To me (NOW), I DO NOT wish that they will have alopecia one day, because they dont deserve it! Alopecia areata are for people of great courage, strength, and compassion and kind. I'm not saying that I deserve it because I'm courageous or compassionate (because I'm not), I'm just a part of few odd cases that blessed with alopecia. Because wishing those "uncivilized" people to have alopecia one day would "open" an opportunity for them to join the wonderful alopecia community we're having now and later on "pollute" our wonderful community.:)
So, I forgive those kids from my heart because they do not understand about alopecia, I forgive those kids because they still being so naive and insecure in life, I forgive those kids because they have little understand on what trully matters in life. At the end of the day, I'm blessed with alopecia and all the genuine frienships that God gave me while God blessed them with hair (and height- cuz I'm short...lol)...
...and I am convinced that my gift of blessing is well worth it and wouldnt want to exchange it for anything else in the world:)
Joshua
I was reading a post in Alopecia World about coping with alopecia and dealing with all the insensitive (OR stupid) statments being made and I am reminded of an ordeal that happened to me a couple of days ago when I was walking past a grocery store.
A couple of high school kids...shouted at me by "HEY! BALDY!" (across the street)
I was telling myself immediately in my mind that "I dont need to respond to uncivilized people" (ignoring them). It sounded crude and unfair for them that I labelled them as "Uncivilized" as they do not understand about alopecia areata. Obviously I was lazy to educate them either , probably I will be teased further about it if I do.
Sometimes, I just deeply wonder why some young, good looking, spiky cool hair styled, tall high school kids would want to pick on a short, bald and soon to hit a quarter century years old guy?
Do you know when sometimes you wish that people like them getting alopecia areata themselves one day?...many of us been through that...dont we?
To me (NOW), I DO NOT wish that they will have alopecia one day, because they dont deserve it! Alopecia areata are for people of great courage, strength, and compassion and kind. I'm not saying that I deserve it because I'm courageous or compassionate (because I'm not), I'm just a part of few odd cases that blessed with alopecia. Because wishing those "uncivilized" people to have alopecia one day would "open" an opportunity for them to join the wonderful alopecia community we're having now and later on "pollute" our wonderful community.:)
So, I forgive those kids from my heart because they do not understand about alopecia, I forgive those kids because they still being so naive and insecure in life, I forgive those kids because they have little understand on what trully matters in life. At the end of the day, I'm blessed with alopecia and all the genuine frienships that God gave me while God blessed them with hair (and height- cuz I'm short...lol)...
...and I am convinced that my gift of blessing is well worth it and wouldnt want to exchange it for anything else in the world:)
Joshua
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Comment by Cindy on August 23, 2009 at 4:09pm
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Very well said Josh!!
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Comment by Essence on August 24, 2009 at 1:26am
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wow, that ending was wonderful!!
at first i was like "uht oh, is this going down hill" when you said you wished people like them get aa themselves... but it's so true!! sometimes i think that people that tease me should get it so they will see how hard it is. but they really DON'T deserve it...
this is a great post, thanks =) you lifted my spirits on a day that was going south!!
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Comment by Dana on August 24, 2009 at 2:19am
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You're awesome
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Comment by kastababy on August 24, 2009 at 9:14am
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It's interesting that you would post this. When I was a kid growing up with alopecia, the abundance of cruel, insensitive, ignorant kids that teased and taunted me and bullied me because I was bald and wore wigs because of my alopecia was staggering. I don't think I ever wished alopecia on anyone, but my parents and my grandmother always told me that the ones who were the meanest to me were the ones that would one day experience alopecia for themselves. Fast forward 15 years since I graduated high school -- and thanks to Alopecia World, I have come across several people I went to school with that either have developed alopecia themselves, have a child or another loved one who has been diagnosed, or some other catastrophe has befallen them -- and they all seek me and my family out to prostrate themselves with apologies for how they treated me. I think it's more uncomfortable to have to revisit past situations that you have forgiven others for than to deal with little ignorant kids now who do it just to make themselves feel better. Eventually everyone grows up -- and when they grow up, then they might be ready to be educated about alopecia. Until then, try not to let the opinion of someone who's probably not even legal yet get you down. Like you said, they don't understand what truly matters in life, and God willing, they won't have to understand alopecia on a personal level for themselves either.
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Comment by meg on August 24, 2009 at 10:32am
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Love It!!! Blessings for those who do not know any better is the expression of our Divinity within... You gave yourself and the teenagers a gift in so simple yet complex act. AA is the lesson in getting to know who we really are, the mettle... for revealing our personality and changing what can be changed... like blessings to those who know not what they do.
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Comment by Karen on August 26, 2009 at 12:44pm
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I love it too! You sound like a very courageous, strong and compassionate guy! God doesn't give us stuff we can't handle! Ignorance speaks volumes!
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Comment by Mallory Crowner on November 23, 2009 at 1:13pm
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Great post Josh. It's nice to hear someone speak so positively about themselves and about Alopecia. I don't like pity and that is something that aggravates me to no end...people feeling sorry for me because I don't have hair. I feel sorry for them for not having the courage or strength to become a better person. ;o)
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