Thank You For Getting Arrested For Me

So it's almost Mother's Day!  My mother, Jody drove all the way from Maine so that I could treat her to a mother's day lunch.   I also got her another present, which she loved and thought was hilarious.  When I was 17 I attended a public high school in Maine.  Because I was a girl with disabilities the school had the choice to either find ways to include me in activities or alternatively  they would have to pay funding for me to go to the Croched Mountain facility where I could be included in activities. At first they said they would pay for me to go to Croched Mountain but then they changed their minds because it was too much money.  My high school did not want to pay funding for me, so they agreed to accomodate me.  Apparently their idea of inclusion was to leave me alone with an aid in the Special Education department while the other students went on activities and participated in out-of-school events.  I wanted to be in regular classes with an aid, because I am smart.  My disabilities are only physical and I wanted to be a part of the classroom like everyone else.  When my Mom found out that this was the schools way dealing with me she became very angry. She yelled at the school's official's for the horrible way they treated me. That didn't change things.  She decided to take matters into her own hands and practice her right to peacefully protest.  She came to get me from school early one day and we went to the front entrance of the school.  She took out a pair of police issue handcuffs and chained herself to the doors. I was right beside her. We were hoping to get some attention.  Well we did.  When the police came they told us to leave and we both refused.  She was arrested.  For whatever reason, probably because of my disability, they chose not to arrest me.  My mom called her partner Tess to come and be with me and mom was detained.  Tess offered to take me home but I said "No". I wanted to stay and keep protesting.  She left and I stayed awhile longer.  I needed to make a point.  I made my point and the public high school, pressured by the media coverage of our protest, decided to pay for me to go to Croched Mountain where I stayed for the next 7 years contently.  If it hadn't been for the time I spent at Croched Mountain I may not be where I am today, living independently with a strong supportive network.  So this Mother's Day instead of flowers or candy, I took my Mom out for lunch and have her a yellow T-shirt.  The T-shirt reads, "Thank you for Getting Arrested for Me!".   - Happy Mother's Day!