My First Date
 

Kim was born with Cerebral Palsy, and had always been in schools that were mainly for children with disabilities. When her family moved to Bakersfield California, her Mom felt the school that she was enrolled in was not providing the right learning environment. So a year later she decided to transfer her to another school. This school was different; it only had one class for kids with disabilities. All the rest of the classes were filled with "normal" children. Once she was in with children that were able to run, jump and play all the games that children played at that age, she wanted to be just like the children that she watched. While at recess one day, she decided to get out of her wheelchair, and get behind it so she could use it as a walker. The children would look and stare, but she didn't care because she wanted to be like them and just have fun like they were. It didn't go over very well. Some would laugh, others would make funny faces and imitate her every move, but it didn't bother her. She just went on her way and laughed with them until one of the aids would come and put her back in her chair. But as soon as they would leave, she would just get back up and try it again. When she was about eleven and in junior high a man came to their school to talk to them about starting a new wheelchair football team, to be called the Rolling Chariots. He was trying to recruit kids for the team. He would always make whoever wanted to join feel like they could play. Well, Kim thought that was the neatest thing so she joined the team. The coach thought she was too small to play, so he would always give her little jobs like moving the cones to where they were supposed to be, or handing out things to the players. They had a close relationship, she always felt like he was like a third father to her. A year or so later, the team decided to have a dance. Most of the players were older, many in their late teens. Keep in mind, Kim was only twelve and never had been out on a date. So when the coach announced that they would have to have dates, she kind of "freaked." There was this one boy at school that she had a crush on. They would always hang out and talk during recess and things like that. One day they were sitting under a tree waiting for the bus to take them home. She kept thinking to herself that should she ask him to the dance. She finally got up the nerve and asked him. She was surprised when he said yes. However he also said he could only go if he didn't have to go in for some surgery. She was so elated, she could not wait to get home to tell her Mom. As soon as she told her Mom, she walked over her girlfriend's house and told her. That weekend Kim's Mom took her shopping. They picked out this beautiful little green mint dress with white dots. It was beautiful; she was so excited, that the dance could not come fast enough. But that week when they went to practice, the coach asked them if they all had dates. Of course all of them were going wild and started screaming yes. Then when everyone settled down, she over heard the boy she had asked talking to some friends about the girl he was going with. He said the name, but it wasn't Kim's. Right then her heart sunk, and she didn't really know what she was going to do since the dance was that Saturday. An older friend saw her and asked her what was wrong. She told her what she over heard and the friend hugged her and told her that she would go with them. When Saturday came, Mom took her to her friend's house to get ready for that evening. After they got all dolled up, they went to the place where the dance was being held. Her friend helped get her walker out of the car and as she entered the room, the boy that she had asked came up to her and told her how nice she looked and asked her if he could walk her to her table. She said yes, and at that moment she was feeling pretty good, but he walked her to the Coaches table where she discovered the Coach had arranged a date for her for the evening. She noticed that her date was a tiny bit older than she was; would you believe he was eighteen. But as soon as they ate dinner they each went their separate ways. Kim decided that since it was a dance; she was going to dance. She did and had a wonderful time, and a little fall was only a minor annoyance. In spite of a slow start she was having such a great time she didn't want to have the night end. Although, she was looking forward to telling her Mom all about it, it was all very exciting for a girl of twelve she was looking forward to telling her Mom all about it, it was all very exciting for a girl of twelve. She grew up like all little girls do, but she will always remember her "Almost First Date", I know because I'm Kim.