AN AWKWARD CUSTOMER OCTOBER 27TH

 

  I taught for three years in a huge flat roofed secondary school in Hampshire.  This was in the days when I could walk.  I have Cerebral Palsy, so my walk was very far short of "gainly" or confident.  Let's face it, it was odd. 

             One afternoon, this happened:
 

                                                                

SAMUEL O’FLYNN

(True Story)

 

Samuel O’Flynn was a pain in the butt,

                                    When he came into class he would swagger and strut.
                                      He had laughing eyes and a right wicked grin,
                                         He was small for his age, was Samuel O’Flynn.

 Now, I am disabled, yet I could still walk,

                                                It looked pretty odd, and it made people talk.
                                                When he walked into class, I was staggered to see
                                               That Samuel was trying to walk just like me.

       I said, “Samuel, come here, look, you've got it all wrong,

The limp is too weak and it’s got to be strong.”

                                              The classroom fell silent, I dropped to the floor.
                                             “Now you push that knee in, and you twist that foot more.”

A bit of a pause, and then Samuel said, ”ow!”

                                            “That’s more like it,” I said, “go on, walk for me now”,
                                               He took a few steps, his legs twisted, and then
                                                 He suddenly stopped, ….. never did it again.