In her book, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," Maya Angelou describes one sunny afternoon when a couple from Little Rock visited her family's small store operated by her Uncle Willy who is physically disabled. Angelou was startled to realize that for the only time in her life she was witnessing her uncle's deception; Uncle Willy was pretending to not be lame. Early in the book Angelou describes her impression of that afternoon: I'll …showed first 75 words of 1235 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1235 total…Ozark Folk Center, and the people there are oblivious to her mental problems. Mother told me, "I meet new people every week, as well as seeing the regulars every weekend, and it's wonderful. They don't know I am sick; they treat me as if I am normal!" When the day came that people accepted my mother as normal, treating her as they would anyone they encounter regularly, my m! other "sang" with joy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**