by Donald Hancock

Created on: August 14, 2009   Last Updated: August 15, 2009

Tis A Gift To Be Simple

Oliver Twist was the name of a young man who certainly had a difficult childhood by any standards. But Oliver Jones was quite the opposite in most every way. He had parents who were wealthy and who sought to provide the absolute best for him. Their purpose, their motivation, even their child care principles were healthy, wise, and educated, except for a tendency toward over protection.

But somehow their best efforts seemed to go unrewarded. Oliver remained unmotivated, depressed, a poor student, and in every observable way a complete disaster as a personality. And he was only ten years old.

By the time he was fourteen, he bad already been expelled from school because of behavior and had had several run - ins with the local police. His parents were ready to "throw in the towel" when out of the blue came a young lady named, coincidentally, Betty Blue. Betty was two years older than Oliver and was problematic in a different way. She was mildly retarded, as the labels

of that day categorized her, and was physically rather unattractive. But her personality was what anyone would describe with adjectives like sweet, unspoiled, considerate, and above all, loving.

Oliver met Betty in a laundromat, where he had gone to use the bathroom. She was there with her mother, who lived in an apartment house nearby and who had no laundry facilities of her own. Betty was crying because her pet cat was caught in a small opening and could neither get through or come back out. Oliver thought quickly and was able to scoop some soapy water from a washer and pour it on the cat. The cat was then able to slip easily out of his predicament.

As a result of Betty's gratitude and also that of her mother, an invitation was extended to Oliver to go with them to their apartment for dessert. This began a wonderful friendship between Betty and Oliver that was somehow what you could only describe by the over used term "chemistry.

All of the complementary interchanges seemed to be there. She provided him a sense of accomplishment and self esteem that he had never felt with his well meaning but over protective parents. She gave him complete attention to his hopes and fears and life questions. In her simple, uncluttered view of life, she often gave him new insights. In return, Oliver gave her much of what she had missed by not having a father or a brother. He was a loving and fully accepting male figure the likes of which she had never known or even imagined.

This never developed into a romantic relationship, as you might have thought was coming. But over the course of five years, the interactions so healed and ennobled and motivated Oliver that all of the negatives that had previously hindered his life were completely reversed. He became an excellent student and gained an outlook on life that was optimistic, mature, giving, and deeply spiritual. He desired nothing more than to be, as completely as possible, the person that he had come to earth to be.

Betty always used the phrase, "You really are somebody beautiful". And that was true. Oliver went on to college and became a medical professional who is meeting needs in the lives of countless individuals whom he touches every day. But it all happened because a mildly retarded young lady was willing to be her very delightful, though somewhat simple, self to a boy who had almost no sense of self or self value. Their friendship is still intact and will probably remain so forever. They both certainly hope so.

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