Know Who People Are
How many blind people have you ever met? In Michael Coleman’s book On The Run Luke ends up saving a blind girl from a almost horrible accident. Michael Coleman really changes the way you look at people who are bad or different. Many innocent people get made fun of for being blind, having disabilities, or not being a good person when it’s not even their fault. When you read this book you certainly will have a changed mind on how you look at people.
When you walk by a person with a cane you might think that he or she is weird, but you never know. They might have lost their sight in a gruesome accident or just blind from birth. Just because they are blind doesn’t mean you can’t talk to them or have fun with them. In On The Run Luke and Jodi still have fun together even though she’s blind. They’re people too.
At your school if asked it wouldn’t be hard to name some bad people but you don’t know their story. When parents get a divorce it affects the kid too, sometimes creating harsh reactions or mood swings. Luke steals stuff because he has family problems and can barely buy food. Some kids after their parents getting divorced go on and have school problems or do bad stuff like drugs or alcohol. They do that because of all the pain and stress they have. Being a kid and having your parents get a divorce would be very stressful and terrifying. The people that made you, raised you, and who care about you the most are splitting up. That would be scary.
When you read throughout the book you start to learn the lesson that some people can change, try to change, and want to change. It doesn’t always work but peer support always helps. Alcoholics can change and control their drinking habits if they really want to. The fact that some people don’t change their bad habits because they have no encouragement is just sad. Trying to change on yourself alone can be hard. Alone you may start to think that it is useless or not worth it. With peers then they tell you it is worth it.
When your friends are making fun of someone with problems or a disability think about how you would feel getting made fun of for something you might not be able to control. Then you can stick up for the person. When someone gets made fun of so much it can lead to depression. Being depressed is a horrible thing and sometimes it leads to suicide. Too many people who are different with maybe blindness or having a disability get made fun of. It is a very bad thing.
