Hey,
I hope everybody enjoyed their Christmas, making memories with family and friends. I certainly did. This time of the season reminds me of what is important-love and family values. That's the only thing that truly last forever.
But now it is time to get back to business. Over the Christmas break, I came across this news article. It's regarding the real-life savant portrayed in the movie "Rain Man"; he recently passed away.
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/12/22/rain-man-dies/6545/
For those of you who don't know, "Rain Man" was a popular movie in the 1980s. It started Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. Here is a brief synopsis of the story provided by the Internet movie Database: "Rain Man (1988) the story of a young man who regains his humanity through the unexpected love of a brother he never knew he had--until now. Charlie Babbitts father passes away, leaving him only the car that caused their estrangement, and some prized rose bushes. Using his cunning, Charlie traces the remainder of the inheritance, a trust fund, to an institution for the mentally challenged--Wallbrook. There, Charlie discovers the existence of a brother that he'd never known. Charlie abducts Raymond, an autistic savant, from the institute in the hopes of ransoming him for at least half of the $3,000,000 trust fund. Raymond's fear of flying forces a cross-country road trip, during which the two brothers reconnect. Charlie learns that he'd actually known his brother when he was young, mispronouncing his name as "rain man," but Raymond had burned young Charlie badly in hot water and, for this reason, was forced to live at Wallbrook--all but forgotten. By the time the two reach Los Angeles, Charlie's love for his brother has rekindled the humanity within himself. He's left mystified by the enigma that is his brother and grows from the experience, even turning down Dr. Bruners offer to walk away for $250,000. "
This movie with my first experience in terms of understanding disabilities other than my own. I was eight years old and fascinated with how much a disability can impact relationships.