We’re all in this (puppet) together

A lot can happen in a week, especially when you're watching materials become a piece of art. The kids loved slapping more gooey-clay onto the puppet’s head and hands. We adults can learn a lot from kids at play. They lose themselves in their amusement, it’s their meditation. Nothing else exists at the moment, just sheer fun.

Several kids wanted their photos taken with the puppet’s head and hands to show their families of their fine work as artists. Tony asked, “So, will we be famous because we’re making the giant puppet?”

This led to a conversation about Justin Dart and the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990. I realized I never really explained the ADA to children. Learning to make it relevant was a good test of my creativity. I wondered, “How do I talk about it with kids?”

I immediately thought about curb cuts. “Pretty soon, you’ll be riding your bikes, right?” Several kids started telling me about their bikes. I continued, “You know when you come to the end of a sidewalk and there is no curb, and you ride your bike without having to bounce down the curb?” They were listening.

“The curb was cut that way so that people who use wheelchairs can roll easily onto the street and not get stuck, or have to bump down the curb.” Kyle shouted, “My uncle Sam is in a wheelchair, and he sometimes gets real mad because he can't get through a door.”

The conversation took off from the kids talking about people getting mad, and ended up being about how sometimes you have to fight hard to get laws passed to get your rights. Ana, as if reading her fourth grade book report, shared, “Martin Luther King had to fight to get civil rights for African Americans.”

It was the perfect lead in “Yes, that’s what Justin Dart and many, many other people had to do. They worked hard, talked to a lot of people, had marches and protests, and eventually got the ADA passed. It’s like the civil rights law for people with disabilities.” Not a lot was said at that moment. It was like the idea of civil rights for all people was sinking in to their minds, like their fingers were sinking into the clay.

Enough talk for now. Enough puppet making for today. Hands got washed. Aprons were hung up. The clay head and hands were covered in plastic bags to keep them moist.

Next week, our artists, Carl and Megan and the kids will smooth and carve away the unnecessary clay. Then it will be time to paper maiche the puppet. Maybe there will be time for a few more talks about standing up for our rights and making a world where everyone belongs. Maybe these are lofty wishes on my part, but then again so were women’s suffrage, civil rights and the ADA.

The creation of the Justin Dart puppet is being documented through this blog by Janice Fialka. Check back as she shares her insights and documents the birth of this community project.