Last night I was watching an old black & white movie called "The Miracle Worker." It’s the story of Helen Keller, a girl who was both blind and deaf as a result of a terrible illness when she was younger. I try to imagine what life would be like if I was both blind and deaf, and I simply can’t. Needless to say, this girl didn’t understand anything about the world around her and she was basically a terror to live with at home. Her parents finally just had enough, and found a teacher for Helen. A young woman, named Annie Sullivan, who was partly blind herself, came to live with Helen, and tried to give some meaning to her life. She was tough with her, and Helen fought back because she wasn’t used to be treated this way. Helen would keep reaching for her mother and wouldn’t let Miss Sullivan touch her. Finally, her parents agreed to let Miss Sullivan take Helen for 2 weeks to a remote cabin in the woods where she would be able to train her 24/7 without any interruptions. For awhile, Helen fought her, and just wanted to feel her mother’s touch. Finally, Miss Sullivan gained Helen’s trust, and she was able to work with her. She would let Helen feel an object, and then she would spell the word- using sign language – into Helen’s hand. Because her sense of touch was so strong, Helen was able to pick up the hand motions very fast. However, it had no meaning to her. Everything Helen would touch, Miss Sullivan would be right there signing the word into her hand. She got so frustrated because it was just not "clicking" with Helen that objects had names. As a teacher myself, I could feel Miss Sullivan’s frustrations right along with her!! When a child simply does not understand a concept, and you try every which way to explain it to them, it can get pretty frustrating! However, thankfully, that is not the end to the story. After her 2 weeks with Helen was up, Helen was a lot more obedient and disciplined, but she still had no understanding about the world around her. Miss Sullivan put it something like this, “Obedience without understanding is no gift.” Well, once Helen was back in an environment that was familiar to her, she began testing Miss Sullivan to see if she would treat her the same way as she was treated in the cabin. She had a temper tantrum at the supper table and threw a pitcher of water all over Miss Sullivan. Well, her teacher marched her right outside to the pump to fill up the water pitcher again. As she was pumping the water out, she did the same thing she always did when she was with Helen. She spelled the word “water” into Helen’s hand as Helen felt the water pour into the pitcher. Suddenly, Miss Sullivan knew something had happened. Helen dropped the water pitcher and just began feeling the water. She signaled to her teacher to spell the word “water” again. Miss Sullivan did, and Helen signed it back. Suddenly, she went wild, running all over the yard touching everything in sight and putting her hand out for Miss Sullivan to spell the word into her hand. SHE HAD FINALLY UNDERSTOOD!!! Such joy was on her little face!! Her parents came out crying and hugging her. She went back to her teacher, and pointed to her as if asking her, “What is your name?” Miss Sullivan spelled “Teacher” into her hand. Oh my, I had tears in my eyes when Helen finally understood that objects have words and meaning! I can’t begin to express the joy a teacher feels when her student finally understands what she has been trying to teach them! To see your student’s eyes just get wide, and a smile light up their face, you feel such excitement down deep inside you! When they remember the name of a letter and the sound it makes, when they write their letters the correct way…simple things, yes, but yet, its the FOUNDATION to everything they need to know about life! And when they finally get it…WOW! It makes all those frustrating moments worth while! I admire all that Annie Sullivan did. She opened up a whole new world for Helen – a girl whose future seemed so bleak at first. She got angry and frustrated with Helen many times, but she NEVER gave up on her. She knew she could do it. With one simple word “water”, she was able to put the whole world in Helen’s hands. What an inspiring story that is for all of us!!! Even when things seem impossible, never give up!! With God ALL things are possible!!
Here is a link to the end of the movie, if you want to see the ending for yourself. By the way, does anyone know if you can upload youtube videos on here??? If you can and you know how, please pass that information along to me somehow!! Thanks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRq9G_B9yWY
It’s taken me awhile, but I finally did it! I will still be posting pictures on here, so don’t totally desert this place. Enjoy the new blog though!
But altogether, it was a fun day with friends…I was in desperate need of a "social life"
Becky's Book 