I turned 58 today. Went to a Temple nearby, essentially thanked God for what He has provided me over the years, had my breakfast, and then wanted to do something that I wanted to do. I decided to take the train from Colombo and travel to Galle along the caost of Sri Lanka. That was not a smart decison to travel by train. I have forgotten what SL train voyage could be. Although I had a second class ticket, there were no seats when I got in. I stood for an hour, then sat for an hour and reached Hikkaduwa, a popular beach, not just for the tourists, but for the locals as well.
As I walked along the coastal street, a sign displaying 'Co-op Beer Garden and Restraurant' caught my attention. A cooperative beer garden? Isn't that some thing unusual? I decided to go in. The walkway led me to the beach, and there were hundreds of people, all local. Almost all possible seats were taken, people enjoying a swim, a drink and then of course the songs.
I caught the attention of a waiter, and asked for a seat. He was not sure what to do, then brought a table, a table cloth and a chair, and arranged a makeshift seat under a Teak tree. That was good. The humidity demanded that I must have a beer, I ordered one, start to gulp, and then looked around.
Among the groups which were partying there was a group of about 20-25, almost every other person looked Autistic. No one was bothering them and they were not shy either. They walked about where ever they wanted to go, ordered whatever they wanted, ate, and sang. Just like anyone else. I reflected on my childhood days in Jaffna, when kids with autism were avoided, sometimes teased in cruel manner, and mostly left on their own. What I was witnessing was a sign of the society's maturity.
As I pondered over what I was watching, a man from the group, plus or minus a few years to my age, he did not look autistic, went past me. We made eye contact, and he said Good Afternoon with a smile.
Yes it was indeed a GOOD AFTERNOON, so, I humbly acknowledged and wished him the same.
As I walked along the coastal street, a sign displaying 'Co-op Beer Garden and Restraurant' caught my attention. A cooperative beer garden? Isn't that some thing unusual? I decided to go in. The walkway led me to the beach, and there were hundreds of people, all local. Almost all possible seats were taken, people enjoying a swim, a drink and then of course the songs.
I caught the attention of a waiter, and asked for a seat. He was not sure what to do, then brought a table, a table cloth and a chair, and arranged a makeshift seat under a Teak tree. That was good. The humidity demanded that I must have a beer, I ordered one, start to gulp, and then looked around.
Among the groups which were partying there was a group of about 20-25, almost every other person looked Autistic. No one was bothering them and they were not shy either. They walked about where ever they wanted to go, ordered whatever they wanted, ate, and sang. Just like anyone else. I reflected on my childhood days in Jaffna, when kids with autism were avoided, sometimes teased in cruel manner, and mostly left on their own. What I was witnessing was a sign of the society's maturity.
As I pondered over what I was watching, a man from the group, plus or minus a few years to my age, he did not look autistic, went past me. We made eye contact, and he said Good Afternoon with a smile.
Yes it was indeed a GOOD AFTERNOON, so, I humbly acknowledged and wished him the same.
