.ramen noodles.

Ok...so let's start off with my three happy thoughts before I stand on my soapbox and talk about stuff I like.
1. Today we (my research group) finished entering our data for our thesis project. WOOT! Definitely a big relief, and we are still about 10 weeks ahead of most other projects in our class. We'll just have to wait and see if our research was actually effective ;)
2. Fall Break=tomorrow. I haven't been home/seen the family since early/mid August, and I'm excited to go home and do fun fall/Findlay things :)
3. Hoodies. I can't express how much I love wearing a nice hoodie...whether it's school, sleeping, just about anything...I just love a good hoodie. I suppose this revelation just hit me while I was sitting in class today....:)

Ok...so my soapbox/important social issue would be universal design and universal acceptance of individuals with disabilities. I suppose this fire has been ignited with the work I've done the last two summers, but it has become especially evident in the last seven weeks of working with a student with cerebral palsy on campus. Basically, it makes me SUPER SUPER mad when "average Joes" treat people with disabilities like they aren't real people. I know some people stare because they are genuinely interested in the person's ability/condition, but when people start giving dirty looks, then I want to start throwing punches...haha...not really. Additionally, I would consider myself a huge advocate of Person-First Language and hearing people (especially OT professors) speak without using it drives me CRAZY! Regardless, over the weekend, the student I work with was voted Homecoming King of the university. Granted our university is pretty small, the fact that he still won is AWESOME. It makes me happy to go to a university that is accepting diversity to the fullest.
Although this student's physical abilities are extremely limited (basically less than 50% of his left arm is the extent of ability to do anything) , he is AMAZING. I spent most of my evening shift with him just talking and laughing about all sorts of things...life, being a psychology major, The Office, laughing about his condition, ramen noodles, reminiscing on our camp memories.....such a fun night! You would never guess that he had a severe disability if you just heard him talking on the phone...you'd only know because he looks different. I suppose that this is just a big social issue that's important to me because SO many times, people can't understand why I do what I do. It's just about loving people...whether that means helping them eat, wiping butts (ehh....I never said my jobs were glorious!), helping get dressed, or just helping with simple everyday schtuff.

A person with a disability is still a person, I just don't see what's so complicated about that.