"Mom...I am NOT going to marry a prince."

 HUH? That's what my mind thought when Quirky announced this to me last week. Doesn't every little girl dream of marrying a prince? We watch Disney movies, dress up and daydream about princes. (admit it...you did at least once) When I asked why her explanation was well....


it was quite thought provoking. "When you marry a prince they always take your picture. Even when you don't want them to. I wouldn't want people taking my picture all the time. Princesses have no privacy." MMMMMM...makes you think.
"See mom..." We were in our favorite bookstore at the time and she pointed at the multitude of magazines and books piled up at the front of the store. All the books were covered with the "royal wedding news". So here's the thing...my point (occasionally I have one)...my daughter...my young autistic daughter...has figured out what the vast public has not...these people deserve privacy.
Would you like it if your weight battles were publicized for entertainment? Take a look around the gym...maybe even at yourself...are we all perfect?  Would you like it if people made fun of your choice of clothing? For that I simply have to say...Head to your local Wal-Mart and look around or simply look in the mirror. Do we really have the grounds to make fun of how people dress? PLEASE! Would you like it if...oh the list goes on and on. Yes they are movie stars...athletes....royal....etc. but they are all also people. People who deserve our respect...respect for their privacy. I also understand that people are naturally curious...but somewhere along the way that curiousity has turned into something much more nasty...vile...and disgusting. JUDGEMENT....LACK OF RESPECT...dare I say it....INVASION OF PRIVACY. Think about that as you pour through the gossip magazines in the check out aisle of your local store.
As for Quirky... I am glad that she has an innate understanding of how it feels to be under scrutiny. Maybe it is because she is autistic...that makes her look at it from a different perspective. Maybe its because she doesn't like eye contact. Maybe its because she doesn't do well in crowds. Maybe its because she has parents who really could care less. I don't really know...but I'm proud. Why?...because she understands that we all deserve RESPECT. Respect for our differences, respect for our privacy, respect for our abilities or lack of abilities...just respect.  We all deserve respect.
So I have to ask....are you a gossip hog? Or are you like Quirky?  I hope you are like Quirky...I wish I was more like Quirky...I wish we could all be more like Quirky.