This past weekend I was packing up the van with clothes, toys and other materials we no longer needed for a quick drive to Goodwill. I grabbed a box that had a pile of scrap paper that’d been scribbled on randomly by the kids. I assumed the box would be headed to the trash bin but before I carried it away my curiosity took control of my fingers, leading it on an expedition. I found random pieces, a lone propeller without a plane, a game board piece without a box, one of those toys from McDonalds that never work and other tiny parts without a home. Then my eyes fell upon a toy dinosaur. One that had been with us since moving to Washington 5 years ago. At first I was shocked by its presence and proceeded to take it out when I realized it was missing a limb.
For a few minutes I searched for the missing piece to see if I could repair it. Sadly, there was no way it could be fixed. I thought to myself, “All well, guess you need to be tossed”. The idea of sending it off to Goodwill and possibly to the trash heap if it couldn’t be fixed conjured a scene from Toy Story 3.
Thanks Disney.
And then I thought about these two.
A student and teacher bonding over their shared experience with missing a limb. The youtube video link above explains their meeting and the wonderful connecting they make. One of the points of the story is the importance of representation.
Are there people in school that look like you? Are there people who come from the same background? Are there people who see the world like you? Are there toys that look like you? If not, how much of a difference would it make when you find that connection. If you don’t see what the big deal is, it’s probably because you’re represented already.
My oldest daughter was ecstatic when she found another kid from Hawaii in her 6th grade class. They had their own language (pigeon) and didn’t have to explain why spam was delicious.
Having a teacher with a missing limb may not be something you can always hire for but you can find picture books and toys that represent everyone. So, the next time you’re deciding to throw away a “broken” toy, take a moment and ask yourself, “Could this be perfect for someone else?”
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