So once again in recent weeks, we’ve witnessed the many bold, (for lack of better words) in-your-face comments on cyberspace — some by us, some by professional politicians and editorialists. I am always a bit taken back by the many who justify such passionate vitriol, typically in the name of justice for some but rarely justice for all. We seem to elevate who is in need of justice… who is a victim… and who actually deserves respect; then in turn, we justify injustice or disrespect to another. I don’t always get that. We simply don’t know how to treat all people well.
I continued to ponder that quandary while watching yet another World Cup match, and then I saw the story told by both ESPN and USA Today about young Carlos Alberto Junior, a 27 year old soccer fan living in Sao Paulo, Brazil — in a story which instantly put life in a far better perspective…
Carlos has been deaf since birth. He loves soccer — and especially the World Cup. One of his favorite memories, in fact, is of the 2002 World Cup, in which he watched Ronaldo’s Brazil triumphantly score. “I remember the 2002 World Cup. That was an excellent game! Ronaldo scored the goal. With his stylish hair he did the goal dance, and all the players ran to hug Ronaldo. I remember this move, the dance, and Ronaldo’s hair. That was great! I got really emotional with this move.”
Carlos, however, also has Usher’s syndrome, a genetic condition that causes one’s sight to dim over time. Since that 2002 Cup, Carlos has gone blind, only able to discern dim shapes and shadows. Brazil’s 2002 competition is not only one of his favorite memories, but also one of his last visible memories.
Knowing how much Carlos loves soccer and his beloved Brazil, Carlos’s friend, Hélio Fonseca de Araujo, a sign language instructor, wanted to help Carlos experience the excitement surrounding this year’s competition. He created a mini, maneuverable soccer field to scale, using cardboard, felt, paint, and plastic goals. During the games, watching the television, Fonseca de Araujo then guides Carlos’s hands on the mini field, to indicate where the ball is. At the same time, Fonseca de Araujo’s wife, Regiane Pereira, also an interpreter, sits behind Carlos and uses hand movements upon his back to relate play-by-play of the match. Observing their means of communication is fascinating to say the least. As ESPN meaningfully articulates, “From the national anthem to the player introductions to the ebbs and flows of the match, this is how Carlos experiences the World Cup.” To see how he experiences a goal by Brazil is even more beautiful. His cheers are no less joyful… no less resilient… no less.
Says Fonseca de Araujo, “It was the same emotion of any other person who could actually see the goal. He celebrated. He jumped up and down. He yelled and screamed. It was something unique.”
As Carlos says in regard to his way of watching the World Cup, “I remember I had a sad life. I was always lonely. I met Hélio and his wife, Regiane, and they started to help me. It is a true friendship that will last. They are great friends. They helped me and made me grow. God bless their life!”
There is no focus on being a victim or on limited injustice.
There is a focus on the positive.
There is a focus on growth.
And there is a focus on how to treat all people well.
Thank God for the example of Carlos.
Respectfully…
AR