UNIT 20 Disability

藝弊悝汜炾釬

Lunch with Helen Keller

by Ashley Jacobson, Pittsford Sutherland High School, Rochester

Helen Keller was one of the most successful people in the world. She helped in so many ways to change many people＊s lives. She was a very humble person despite her successes. I want to tell you about a story I read which touched me and shows what a special person Helen Keller was.

In the summer of 1950, a woman in Italy was asked by a neighbor to pick up two women at a nearby hotel. The reason why her friend, Margot Besozzi, couldn＊t pick them up is because her jeep was getting repaired and that was the only car they could take to get up the very steep hill to her house. The women of course said that she would be delighted to pick them up. She asked Margot, " whom should I ask for at the hotel?" and Margot replied, "Miss Helen Keller."

She could not believe that she was going to pick up Helen Keller at the hotel. She was so excited that she started to dream about when she was a little girl and her father had given her the story of Helen Keller written by Annie Sullivan. When she arrived at the hotel, she got out of her car to greet Helen Keller and Polly Thomson. She took Helen＊s hand and placed her in the car with Mrs. Thomson. Then it came to her mind that they were going to be taking a very dangerous ride when they were to go up to the house. There were no sides to the car, so when she took very sharp turns, she was afraid that Helen might fall out of the car. So she warned them about the sharp and steep turns. When they got to this part of the journey, Helen started to sing, "This is fun!" and then she cried out, "Lovely!" When they reached the house, she helped the two women out of the car to greet Margot. She was invited to have lunch with Margot, Mrs. Thomson and Helen. They drove to the restaurant and went to sit down at their table. When Helen sat down, she felt around her area so she knew where her fork, spoon, knife, and plate were, and sat patiently.

After they finished lunch, they were sitting around taking about Italy, and Helen was talking about where she wanted to visit. She wanted to touch all the sculptures and flowers in Italy. Helen said, "There is so much I＊d like to see. So much to learn. And death is just around the corner. Not that that worries me. On the contrary." Then the women asked Helen if she believed in life after death. Helen replied, "Most certainly." It is no more than passing from one room into another. There was silence for a moment. Then Helen said very slowly, "But there is a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room, I shall be able to see."

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蔬劼吽噪蔬詢撰笢悝