The
RA or
Resident Assisstant of my
freshman dorm was afflicted with a permanent form of Bell's
Palsy. When I first saw her, I admit with shame that I was
shocked. I thought she was
ugly, I wondered what horrific event had caused half of her face to go
slack like that. I didn't have the
nerve to ask her, though, and so simply tried to
ignore it.
I didn't have to try for long. She was such an incredible person, I soon grew to enjoy her company so much that the disfigurement ceased to become noticable. In fact, it was even beautiful. She could only smile with one half of her mouth, but that smile was radiant. I envied her vibrance and her multitudinous talents. She wrote songs, she played the guitar, she sang, she was incredibly spiritual, she was smart, self-confident, and fun.
How I wanted to be like her, Bell's Palsy and all.