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When you know better you do better

When you know better you do better. The famous quote from Oprah Winfrey is host to a wealth of truths. Just think about it. Many of the wrong decisions we make in life come from a place of ignorance. These wrong doings are mostly not made deliberately. Life is a learning experience and as we go through life, we indeed learn to make better decisions.

When you know better you do better

I too had to realise and learn this truth. When I was a teenager I attended school in another town and therefore lived in a boarding hostel. Only girls. One of the girls Anne talked funny so the girls including me laughed when she talked. In the evenings some of the girls would ask Anne to read the notice board. Everyone would laugh including Anne. While I didn’t participated in encouraging Anne to read, I too laughed.

I felt a bit uneasy making fun of her however I said to myself that Anne also laughs about talking and reading funny

Weeks later I went home for a long weekend. My Mum asked about boarding school. I told her about Anne and her funny way of talking and reading. Another few weeks past until one day when my Mother came to pick me up from boarding school. I introduced her to Anne and also saw the shock on my Mother’s face. When we got into the car my Mum turned to me and told me: “Don’t ever laugh at Anne again. She have a problem. A defect”

Anne was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate

While her condition wasn’t life threatening she had several surgeries to repair her facial deformity. Not all the surgeries was successful. While she could talk, she was left with a slight nasal sound when she talked and read. Anne might have laughed with us to hide her hurt and pain.

The 14 year old Amanda learned a big lesson that day and I still feel deep shame for my part in causing Anne hurt.

When you know better you do better