aul's Story #3

"I Love You, You Are Special"- Paul's Testimony # 6

When telling my story, I try to use the best words I can use. I'm not too good of story writting. I try.

Many says I have good testimonies to tell, and I should try to have someone write these stories for me.

If they write the stories for me, it will make it sound too good or make it look like it's from an expert.

So I rather tell my story in my own words the best way I could instead of having someone else do this for me.

I started my One Man Advocate on Child Abuse in 1975 at the age of 25.

Some people discovered me and taken me aside to teach me to write and type better than I was doing at that time.

I had to learn many things that I could not learn when I was in special education.

I graduated from high school at age 21. I had to learn to make speeches at Forums and behave myself when I was with other local celebrities in the community.

A young mother came to me at a fund raisng project and had heard about me and was wondering why I was so concerned about child abuse.

I told her my story. This young mother wanted me to do a favor for her.

She said: there is a young child at Bess Kaiser Hospital at room so and so. Can you visit her and cheer her up?

Heck, I'm kinda new in Portland area and I'm trying to learn what is available in the community of where to get help if on drugs, gangs, child abuse, etc. I wanted to tell her where she could get help, but she insisted that I go to see the child.

It was Saturday and I went to bess Kaiser Hospital to see this young child.

If I remember correctly her name is Linda.

A 12 year old child tried two times to kill herself by slashing her wrist with a razor blade.

I knew there was something wrong with her wrist, but I not asked questions. I learned later about her childhood life after this special event happened in my young life.

The child was abused, but so minor of abuse. You know, a yell here, a yell there.

A little push here, and a little push there. Linda tried to kill herself because of this miner abuse.

I LEARNED THAT NO MATTER HOW SMALL THE ABUSE A CHILD GOES THROUHH, IT IS STILL CONSIDER TO BE ABUSE.

I talked to Linda for almost an hour.

When I talk to children, I ask them what is their hobbies, cloth style, school subjects.

You know, the things that children do. No, I don't ask children if they are abused or if they have good or bad parents.

I try to talk to children as if I was a child. Many say that I act like a child because I am retarted.

Maybe so, but maybe that is a special gift given to me.

And if we all act like children, just maybe, we would all live in a peaceful world away from adults bad behavior.

Over an hour went by and I said to Linda: I will not be able to see you until Monday.

I taken both her hands and I said: "I love you and you are special". I waved at her as I left the room.

During the evening I was puzzeled if I said the right things to Linda in our conversation. I talked this over with my wife and she said I probably did do right.

Sunday morning came and I decided to go to Bess Kaiser to see Linda instead of waiting for Monday.

I walked toward her room and one of the nurse stoped me in the hall and said: You were here Friday to see Linda. I said, yes I was here. The nurse said, is your name Paul? I said, yes.

The nurse said to me that Linda was crying during the evening and they managed to calm her down.

I ask the nurse, do you know what is going on? She said no. I had a feeling that I might had said something wrong or I might had not said the right thing.

I knocked on Linda's front door and walked in. I walk toward the foot of the bed. As I was walking toward the end of the bed I said, how you doing?

As I was saying this to her, Linda picked up a hand control and push a button to make the bed sit up so she can be sit up straight.

Linda said, come over here Paul by the side of the bed. The nurse standing in the room fixing Linda's medication.

As I walked to her side, Linda reached up and gave me a hug and cried out: no one in my family ever said "I love you and you are special."

BINGO and another BINGO.

You see, I knew what she was crying about. I knew why she gave me a hug.

I knew that just maybe someone in her home is not saying the right words to her.

You see, as I was a child, I to had no one to hug me. No one to say the word "I love You Paul, or to say, you are special."

I know, I been there and even worse I was severly abused and battered and almost dead.

As I was abused and tormemted I had this special love inside of me.

Someone or something gave me this love and I carried it with me for 49 years.

I now share my special love to little children since I was 25 years old.

We all can have happiness in our life just like children have.

But once an adult hit a child with an angry hands, that ends the happiness in a child's life.

Linda and I huged and we cried.

I held her tiny fragile arms in my arms. I kiss her forehead. The nurse stood there with tears in her eyes.

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Liz & Paul McLaughlin
Stop Child Abuse
Eugene, Oregon 97405

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