Categories: Flowers of Many Colors

No flights, only Swim? still a bird.

If you were asked, “what bird can’t fly?” No doubt they’re very many including ostriches. How about if you were asked, “what bird can swim?” Would you still say ostriches? Let’s say, “what birds can’t fly, but can swim, and a majority of its species are found in the South hemisphere?” I’m talking about penguins.

I don’t remember being taught adaptations of birds to swimming in my biology class. I don’t remember being told a penguin is a fish either. In fact, if it were a fish, it’d have defied a fish principle of not being able to breathe on land.

How can it be a bird when its best transport is swimming? How can it be a bird when it’s just a carnivore? With the ability to hold breath for about 6 minutes, and some, up to 20 minutes, how can penguins be birds? What magic can sustain the lungs with air for that long time under waters if there are no gills? Can penguins really be birds?

Just as the penguins are unique, yet are birds, there are many people who are unique, yet are no less humans. Some may not be able to walk like others, just like the penguins don’t move like other birds. Some people may not even eat what others eat, just like penguins don’t delight in seeds like other birds. That’s what we call uniqueness. All are made by one being, Almighty God.

To enjoy this world that God has allowed us to be in, it is important for us to embrace the fact that difference in color, shape, character, origin, gender, hobbies, physical appearance, is not sufficient to make a person less of a human. Actually, one should understand that with such differences, that we literally can’t change, we can use it for better things.

A man like Nick Vujicic may not be of the same stature as many people. He might not be of the same physical appearance as other people. But like the penguins can do wonders in water, Nick has inspired the world. He in fact spends time to pray for people whom others would think are normal. Shall we call him less of a human? No way! God has poured His spirit upon Nick just as on others whom He has chosen for evangelistic duty.

It’s unfortunate that many times that people see uniqueness, they either feel pity, or get scared of the unique person. It’s actually more unfortunate that many unique people are not given much chances, just because the prejudice of them being unable to do “stuffs” often feel the hearts of many others who think of themselves as normal.

My good friend Jeff has always wanted to serve his country. Jeff has suffered a disorder that affected his spine, and hence, his normal growth. One particular day, Jeff had to ask an army commander why they don’t allow special needs people to serve in the military. The commander told him this:

“We know for the fact that special needs people have already suffered enough. We think it is kind enough to save them from the trouble of hard trainings, just for the sake of guaranteeing security of the people. We feel they should be protected, than charged to protect others.”

I think the intention, if it’s true, is very good. Isn’t it?

Jeff didn’t feel so good with this response though. I don’t think I’d either, if I were Jeff.

What better suffering is there than to feel uncalled? What better suffering is there than to feel useless, especially when people try to use words to console you after denying you the opportunity? What could be worse than the feeling of not being valued?

Let’s accept one thing; to feel secure, to feel loved, and to feel valued is the desire that determines the mood, the feeling, and the attitude of everyone in this life. If one feels uncalled, they’ll fight hard to be valued. They’ll step on people, and do other nasty things to be valued and recognized.

My good friend Geoffrey did not have a very good past as a child. He felt rejected by his own people. He labored to be the man he is today, but the scars still hurt. A lot of times, when his opinion is rejected, he feels like he himself has been rejected. The ideas he presents are just not to solve a problem at hand, but much more to make him feel honored.

This same thing can happen to anyone of any race, color, shape, gender, or language. As Magic Johnson would say,

“All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and someone who believes in them”.

A little help makes anyone feel important. A little hope gives the confidence to face today and all the challenges that come therewith. A little belief makes one to feel loved, and all the benefits of love feels them.

Growing up as a special need child, I found life so hard. I loved soccer, and trained with other people, but was never selected in the team to represent the school. I had to accept that I’d never be a soccer star. I always had good games in the trainings. I dodged, I dribbled, I sprinted with the ball by my side, I even made tackles, but none of which ever earned for me a place in the team.

A few years later, I had to try my second ability, Music. Everyone was astonished. I always appeared at the top of the choir list. I could still do the soccer trainings though, but not with the dream of being a soccer star anymore. I soured musically like a penguin dives in the sea. I tried even to write some songs, and the people appreciated it.

My strength was not discovered as a soft landing. The pain of being left out in soccer led me to music. The need for being called forced me to give my best. The joy of being recognized, made me to set a height that was not easy for my peers to attain. I think the first penguin joined swimming after feeling small that it couldn’t fly.

If you are different from others, there are two things to choose from:

To remember that a penguin could spend its entire life blaming God for its inability to fly. The penguin could spend all its days regretting being a bird with limitations. The penguins could adopt the culture of being mocked by other birds for its weird walking style, and its inability to fly. The penguins could accept to die hungry because no one is willing to get for them some sea foods.

To remember that penguins had a hidden talent to discover within themselves. They had the talent to hold breath for about 10 minutes on average. They had a great design to help them camouflage, and eat the sea foods. They had the ability to shade off their feathers and regenerate in two weeks. And they had the ability to swim in the sea.

The choice is yours today. The world may never learn to be good to the special needs, but the special needs can learn to seize their special tasks. The talents are given depending on the ability as the bible says. Everyone with the ability to swim is given the talent to swim.