Andrew Robinson Senior Project Reflection For the past month, I worked at a site called St. Louis Arc. Arc is what is called a community integration center for developmentally disabled adults that gives them the chance to be active in the community. We would eat lunch at the site, but otherwise we were out doing something: we would go grocery shopping, go bowling, check out books at the library, wipe tables at local restaurants, etc. I worked with about 25 men and women who ranged in age from 23 to 70 and whose disabilities ranged from mild – where they could communicate and function at a high level – to severe – many of them never talked, and some had seizures or outbursts or complete psychological meltdowns. I initially chose this site because although I’ve volunteered before, I’d never interacted much with people who have disabilities. Mr. Ehlman suggested this site, and it seemed to be exactly what I wanted – it was really interesting and also challenging because, as I said, it was much different than anything I’d done before. Still, I’m sure like many seniors, I never would have guessed how much I’d enjoy Project and how many strong relationships I’d form. The people at my site became a part of my life, just like my classmates do when I’m in school. At first, they were attached to me, but by the end it was really me who had grown attached to them. The person it was especially hard to say goodbye to was this guy named Kevin. On the first morning of Project I was sitting on a couch with Luke Mammen as the clients showed up, not really sure what to do. We felt completely out of place, and in walks Kevin, this guy who’s about 30, who’s got a nice beard, but most distinctively he has this unbelievably contagious smile. As he walks in, he notices Luke and I, and, as he often does when he’s happy, he scrunched up his face and said, “I’m dancin’!” which immediately made me laugh and feel more relaxed. His playful smile and his equally cheerful mood made me laugh countless times over the past month. When I was tired or frustrated, or when someone else was having a violent meltdown, I could always look at Kevin across the room and as soon as we made eye contact he would break into his giddy laugh, which immediately put me back in a good mood. One thing that struck me was how he and all of the people I worked with found humor and happiness in the simplest things – a smile, a game of catch, a bad joke. The biggest daily challenge at my site was communication. My conversations with the clients were not what you might call typical conversations. Even Kevin only had about 5 phrases that he ever said. This other guy named Rick couldn’t string together a sentence without mentioning his mom, his doctor, or his fear of going to jail. The conversations were usually disconnected phrases and ongoing misunderstandings, which was sometimes frustrating. Some of them wouldn’t respond or react at all when I talked to them. However, I think the coolest part of my Project was how we found other ways to
communicate. Every morning we would sit in a circle and play catch for about a half hour. Every lunch, I would find someone to make a puzzle or draw a picture with. Even if we didn’t talk, we were communicating just by being together and doing something together. Smiling, laughing, high fives, and dancing became our language. One of the most rewarding experiences of Project was a pretty simple one: this guy named Amir arrived in the morning, smiled at me, and extended his hand to me for a handshake, leaving the other workers astounded because he is usually overwhelmingly shy and terrified of physical contact. I formed incredible relationships with all of the people at Arc, and the first thing I did when I got home after the last day was check to find our next day off school, so that I can go back to visit. SLUH is hectic. In our busyness, we often only have the time and energy to focus on ourselves – my grades, my friends, where I’m going to college, what I’m doing this weekend. Senior Project gave me a chance to take a step back from that mindset, and it made me realize that my world isn’t THE world, that my lifestyle isn’t the only lifestyle. For guys like us, the tendency is to think that our lives are “more normal” or “better,” but I don’t think that’s true. The people I worked with were so happy most of the time; they just see the world differently, and for a month I got the chance to walk in their shoes. If Senior Project were a course, it would be called AP Men for Others. It’s a chance to learn about and live out what we’ve talked about for three and a half years now: how to give and not to count the cost. Now that Project is over, I hope to continue to do in small ways what I have been doing this past month. I hope to continue to try on everyone’s shoes, to think about other people and their backgrounds, to be patient and understanding with others’ differences, and to enjoy and be thankful for simple things.