“Going Down the Ladder” – A Film

January 27, 6:30pm-8:00pm

$10 preregistered/prepaid.

Cultural norms suggest that ascending the ladder guarantees us a “good life.” Power, beauty, and increased capacity are the values for which to strive. Success is built on promotions, increased salaries, and higher social standards. In his early life, St. Francis, too, sought this pathway. Going up was the direction of choice. However, at the bottom of the ladder were those left with primal innocence for whom the heart was more important than the head.

At the bottom of the ladder were found to be people of the heart, where meeting others was more important. Jean Vanier tells of a prostitute who is with a ‘differently-abled’ man as he approaches death, when he says to her, “You always wanted to change me, you never wanted to meet me.” It is a very heartwarming story. Discussion to follow.

Angie Grimm is the mother of an adult son with Down Syndrome. She has made the journey from grief to joy while parenting a differently-abled individual and is enthusiastic about sharing the rare gifts and life lessons she has received from her son and the special needs community.