Darryl lives with his brother Darwin who doesn't approve of him going to his friends houses, for whatever reason. His brother gives him $10 every week for spending money. But because Darryl is such a nice guy, pretty much everywhere he goes people give him whatever he wants for free.
Darryl has volunteered at "Meals on Wheels" for well over 20 years. My former neighbor used to work there and so that is how he became friends with Darryl. They are pretty close and so Darryl usually stops by every day if even for only 15 minutes or so. I used to hang out at my neighbors house almost every day, that is how I became familiar with him.
One day when I was hanging out over there, and Darryl showed up with a handful of medals he had won in the Special Olympics. He had showed up wearing them around his neck very proudly. He boasted about how he has won "gold" in cycling and golf for like 10 years in a row. Most of the year he is riding his bicycle all around town. It is his prized possession. Anyways, during this one conversation, I had asked him if he knew who the President of the United States is. I wasn't trying to pick on him, it had just kind of come up in conversation. He had absolutely no idea. In fact, he is completely oblivious to most things aside from his normal routine.
I suppose that you could compare his education and social skills to that of a 3rd or 4th grader. He cant really spell or comprehend math, but he is quite aware of his surroundings and he can understand most "normal" concepts. He is difficult to explain because I have never met anybody like him. I suppose that he kind of reminds me of "Rain Man", minus the brilliance. He is very timid at times and he has a very kind heart. Sometimes when he stops by he will have a beer, but never more than that. He knows his limits, and he is fine with it. He is fine with everything.
During one conversation with him, I sort of began to envy him. He is always in a good mood and he lives his life without the fears that I struggle with every day. The only fear he has is that his brother will get mad at him if he is not home on time. He has had the same routine for such a long time, and he is very content with it. I got to wondering what it must be like to be Darryl. His life is so simple and he always seems like his only stresses pertain to his obsession with arriving at his destinations on time.
Sometimes I wish that I was oblivious to it all. I wish that I didn't worry about wasting my potential. I wish that I didn't have to worry about paying bills. I wish that I didn't often rack my brain trying to understand the meaning of life. I wish that I could sleep easy at night without worrying and stressing about countless things.
I have often heard people refer to people such as Darryl as "Special". And I have always just assumed it was a politically correct term for "mentally challenged". But as I consider all of the things that stress me out versus the few things that bother Darryl, I began to paint a different perspective. Perhaps the term "special" truly means just that. I do not know many people who are always in a great mood and excited. And I know even less people who are not consumed by their stresses on a daily basis. I am not saying that I wish I was slow, I am just saying that Darryl is truly a special person. And I think that a lot of people could learn a lot about how to be happy in their own lives by admiring his.
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