Wyndham Weekly, December 2013

I recently had the pleasure of meeting a person living with an intellectual disability from Mambourin Enterprises.
We had a conversation about things that make us happy.
What struck me was, if I’d asked a friend or colleague the same question, they’d probably hum and haw about it for a while before answering.
But Elvira’s answers were sure and swift. An older woman with short greying hair and a love of sparkly scarves, Elvira finds delight in the minutiae of daily life. She tells me she likes to go shopping, not to buy much, but just to have a look at the people and window displays.
Sometimes, school kids tease her because of her obvious disability, but even then she says someone usually comes to her defence, making her glad to be part of such a great community.
Sometimes she feels sad when she thinks about her late mother, but being able to speak to one of the carers from Mambourin always lifts her spirits.
She likes to be able to help the other people who attend her day centre, and give them some advice when they’re feeling a bit down about something, like a Mother Hen.
She giggles as she tells me about the activities she does each week; music lessons, cooking a Thai curry and going swimming. But most of all, she’s happiest when she’s watching football, especially her beloved North Melbourne team, although, she doesn’t like the big beards that are fashionable amongst the players at the moment.
Our conversation reminded me to be grateful for the small things in life, and it’s a chat I hope to continue soon.
Tuesday 3rd December was the International Day for People with a Disability, when we celebrate those who make our communities diverse and unique.
And that makes me happy.