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Mailbox” (continued from page 2) Don’t judge who you don’t know Dear Editor This past week we had an experience in Walmart that taught the children with me that you should be careful about making judgements of people, without knowing all the facts, and you shouldn’t let your own. prejudices cloud your perceptions. I was with five teenagers at the checkout when a lovely young man with Autism excitedly approached my adopted daughter; something about her had attracted his attention. He excitedly pointed at her front saying something we didn’t catch before taking off. My guys were laughing and trying to figure out what had drawn his attention specifically to her. There was no ie nepatly to the laughter, but rather pleasure in the are we repaid and left the line a woman came up into my face and aggressively said, “Do you know how bad they make you look, laughing at that autistic boy” before taking off in her righteous indignation feeling, very proud of herself for putting us in our place, giving me no chance to explain her mistake. You see, we judge without knowing the facts and sometimes we judge the book by its cover. My husband and I have looked after children with special needs for over 15 years in our home. Sometimes their special needs have been very apparent as in downs syndrome children, the physically challenged, or the autistic children. Having said that, the majority that have special needs - at first glance - are not apparent, such as the child with PTSD due to years of physical and emotional abuse, the suicidal child, the child with global delays, the cognitively impaired child, children who’s mothers drank during pregnancy, the children with brain trauma and the children with internal medical issues. Perhaps we were mistaken in thinking the young man was attracted to the characters on my daughters T-shirt. Maybe he saw far clearer than any adult, a peer with disabilities. You see, my daughter has significant cognitive delays, a debilitating anxiety disorder, has had a liver transplant, and survived a bout of cancer. All the children with me that day have invisible issues. In the autistic young man, they saw a peer having fun and joined in his laughter. They weren’t judging him or finding him lacking, just that he was their peer. Perhaps the lady in her righteousness should look at her own Prejudices. Elaine Pratt, Port Perry Keep letters to a maximum of 250 words; shorter is often better. We cannot publish negative letters about individuals or businesses. Submit to: “CHANGING FACES Marcade Décor has now opened at 126 Water St., 2nd floor, Port Perry, offering interior decorating, feng shui and events. The Prout family, owners of Special Benefits Insurance Services have moved from 118 Water St. around the corner to 158 Casimir St, Port Perry. They provide individual health and dental insurance. CMS Web Solutions at 126 Water St., Port Perry, made a small move .... They moved from Unit #2 to Unit #3. We're thinking the view was nicer!!! The Muses Nails Beauty Spa has opened their doors at 1874 Scugog St., Unit 3, Port Perry, formerly the home of You're So Country. Global Pet Foods at 1888 Scugog St. are closing their doors on Wednesday September 30 after three years in Port Perry. Sweet Maple serving breakfast and lunch, is now open at 20-22 Water Street, Port Perry, formerly known as Red Ribbon. "at ert tna ge Somoy SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2015 Thenext scheduled fundraising event for the new an- imal shelter, will be the 4th Annual Gimme Shelter Gala i lace on November 7 at Wooden Sticks Golf Coursein Uxbridge. Backby popular demand, Canadian actor, voice actor, writer and comedian Neil Crone will be the Master of Ceremonies. The evening includes dinner, drinks and entertainment, along with live and ticket auctions for incredible items donated by local businesses and families. Tickets, $125 for a single, or a table of eight for $900, can be purchased online at www. animal-shelter.ca or at Pet Valu in Uxbridge and Port Perry. Tax receipts are available for a portion of the ticket cost. As a bonus, each ticket purchased before October 7 will qualify for a draw to win a pair of diamond ear- rings, courtesy of Rutledge Jewellers in Uxbridge. “The gala is a wonderful evening and over the years, it has proven to be the biggest annual single fundraiser staged by the shelter committee,” says Amy Stevenson, Board member and Co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee. “We are fortunate to have many wonderful volunteers from our communities who are so passionate about our cause and the well-being of animals. Without them, we wouldn’t have the success we do with our 82 FOCUS - OCTOBER 2015 events.