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Q:
How do you think your world is different?
Steven:
Well, we see things in a different light. Sometimes it's hard
for us to understand things. But we can see things in our
own way once we understand where other people are coming from.
Sometimes I am friendly and then sometimes I am too
friendly.
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I
just got through having a medical test and this lady looked
into my eyes and she said, "You have stars in them." That's
typical for people with Williams syndrome to have starburst
eyes. She couldn't stop looking at them.
Scott:
Sometimes I am friendly and then sometimes I am too friendly.
Steven:
Then you get all upset because then people make remarks and
you're trying to be friendly and you don't understand why
they are making these remarks. And it's difficult…You want
to be friendly and you want to be nice because being nice
is the way it should be with everyone. And when people take
it the wrong way, you get frustrated because all you were
trying to do was be nice. And either they don't want to see
that you have a disability or they can't understand it. But
I'm only trying to be nice.
But
you have to back off and know that there are boundaries. It's
good to teach our younger people who have Williams syndrome
that it is not okay to talk to strangers. But now, we're in
a lot of groups, we're accepted and we have a lot of friends.
It's really nice that the people that we're with have grown
up and have learned from us. They invite people to come into
the club that we belong to and come in to talk to us. It's
really nice that people are finally waking up.
Q:
What it was like to grow up with Williams?
Scott: It was a little tough. Mainly, as far as school
is concerned, it's really hurtful and I'm still recovering
from those years. When I was in school, I felt like I was
the outsider. People chose to harass me everyday, so I didn't
like it.
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Scott
and Steven volunteer to help scientists learn more about
the Williams syndrome brain |
Sometimes we were in special classes, but there were times
we had to try regular classes, too, and that was no fun. I
put my high school years on the back burner and I focus on
what's going on now. I'm very happy with the Williams syndrome
Association. I'm very happy with the Lions Club and I love
traveling. I've been to Spain and Morocco and Sicily and Italy.
We did a couple of cruises and things like that. I like riding
on rails and my brother likes riding on ships.
Steven: No. There were a lot of people who picked
on people like us. It was hard. I just wanted to say this:
I give all grace and glory to the man upstairs for helping
me accept myself as who I am. A big part of it has to do with
my parents. Without my parents, I couldn't be the person I
am today. 
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