Disqualified: Eddie Hart, Munich 1972, and the Voices of the Most Tragic Olympics by Eddie Hart & Dave Newhouse

Author:Eddie Hart & Dave Newhouse
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Squirrel Books

I LOVE PARIS

My wife, Gwen, sensed it before I did: something was different about our first child, Paris. She wasn’t yet two years old, and she seemed to have a hearing deficiency, for she didn’t respond immediately to sound. Then we discovered the painful truth—it wasn’t her hearing. Paris had a developmental disability, which meant that she would live with us the rest of our lives, under our permanent care.

Gwen and I realized that we would need to be more patient, and more protective, in terms of Paris’s personal growth. But I never looked at this as a problem, and I can’t say that I’m saddened by it. I just accepted that Paris would not compete on the same level playing field with the rest of the kids her age. She would always need special attention, with special classes, and she wouldn’t be going off to college.

But Paris has taught us a lot about ourselves, and our fortitude, which has helped us grow as parents. Others tried to help us with her situation, but they’ve never been in this situation. Some people even talked to us about putting her in an institution. Because they were well meaning, I wasn’t offended. Paris is a unique person. She just exudes love. She doesn’t know a stranger. And she has endless patience. She works on the computer, sitting there for hours until she gets what she needs. She likes old sitcoms, old music, and Richard Nixon.

That’s right, Tricky Dick. I took her to the Nixon museum, and she really enjoyed it. We went inside the helicopter where Nixon gave the peace sign following his presidential resignation in 1974. We took family vacations for twenty years, sometimes three trips a year, traveling to Disneyland every summer with our two kids. (Eddie Jr. is three years younger than Paris.) We became a real family in that sense, going to the parks, the fairs, and the carnivals. We cherished those times.

Paris, who’s now in her early forties, knows she is an important part of our family. She’s treated very well—when we go to church, they all love her. She is a total extrovert; just don’t give her the microphone. She can get overexcited and get into people, so we have to watch that side of her carefully. Gwen watches over her constantly.

Does that responsibility wear on Gwen? I think about that all the time. Paris is always well groomed. She eats well; that’s evident. Gwen does yeoman’s duty with Paris, because she’s still a girl, really, even in her forties. Gwen doesn’t tend to Paris begrudgingly; my wife is very loving. Our faith plays a significant role with our family; we believe God is in control; Paris is in His hands.

Gwen is like a gift from God. Let me explain that from several different perspectives. I grew up in a home where my mother and father worked as a team; their example played significantly into how Gwen and I work together. In forty-plus years of marriage, we’ve seldom argued.

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