Luck Change

So June 16th was my second "I Choose Dign!ty" rally. I went to my first one two years ago, since the one that was supposed to occur last year was cancelled due to bad weather. If you weren't following me two years ago, the I Choose Dign!ty rally is an event where people who feel that they have not been allotted their fair share of dignity gather. The beginning of the rally begins at Extend-a-Family and continues onto City Hall.

While the rally is organized by an agency that focuses on people diagnosed as having developmental disabilities, it is meant to include anyone who agrees with the message that we are all full human beings and deserving of dignity. In the past, LGBTQ has made the most effort to stand shoulder-by-shoulder with us. This year, we had a woman choosing to wear Hijab make a speech on why she chooses dignity.

For years, I've been told by people that I'm featured on the I Choose Dign!ty brochure, but the image isn't online, so far as I've been able to make of it, and whenever I ask people about it, they seem sure they've got a brochure on hand, check themselves, and realize they don't. When I showed up at the rally, I shared this sentiment with someone I knew, she gestured to a huge billboard-sized image. I was on it.

It's the group image taken from the top of city hall, but since I carry some unusual traits that make me more visible, I guess I caught the attention of a number of people. I was in the middle of saying "Dignity" too, since that's what they were saying instead of "Cheese" and my mouth is positioned accordingly. Coupled with me waving my flag that says "Nobleness" and I just presented as being really into the event.

I chose a flag that says "Worthiness" this year. I'm in the banner again and a number of photos. Not all of them were that flattering.

 The person who did my second-year student placement with me at WALES came for the rally. A professor we shared in common was also being thrown a retirement party down the street, so we went their after the rally.

Everything seems to be moving in my direction this summer. In May, everything seemed to be moving against me. Any time things were left to luck, I'd be put in an inconvenienced position, you know? I couldn't even win at Big Game Hunter (wildlife shooter video game).

But this month... I'm doing the program with someone that was doing her 2nd year student placement when I was doing my first. Different girl from last year, if I ever mentioned that. I'm working with someone who did the Summer Program two years back, and another person who did it one year back. So I know all these people, and they each don't know each other.

First day is a workshop on citizenship. We are asked to present what the greatest obstacle for us is in the development of community. Each section of the organization is sitting at different tables. I present the concept of the "Monkey Sphere", which is a concept that people are only capable of perceiving a finite number of others as individuals, and afterwards become a statistic, with large cities making people fall outside the proximity of most people's sphere even though they are in their immediate presence. My group is floored, wants me to present it. I do so, and receive the only applause of all the other groups. The spokeswoman shouts us out throughout nthe workshop after this.

When the group came together next week, we were all assigned the task of developing ice breaker activities. When my boss says the first one will be based on names, I tell him he stole my activity, and so he asks me to lead it. After my explanation, I ask if that's what he was planning and he says it was "So much better"

As an team building activity, my team had to beat another team at building a structure made of spaghetti, string, tape, and a balloon.The other team developed a really strong strategy and my team just messed around, but we took the win.

 We were asked what we thought of the deep green shirt colour that the Summer Program has used in previous years. Everyone agreed it was great. I shared a concern that it was similar to other program colours, and so now we're using a deep orange.

We had to build a castle out of material such as construction paper, balloons, popsicle stick etc. Me and one other person were requested to be stationary while other members rotated. My castle won.

I got asked to help in leading an Extend-a-Family history workshop. I got asked to lead parachute games.

Last season odds were against me and it was proper to play safe. This year things are in my favour and I should probably make strong movements.