Prating on about California’s Developmental Disabilities Service system from the back of the Turnip Cart.Who rides in the back of the turnip cart? Bumpkins of course! We are people with no direct stake in California’s Developmental Disabilities Service System. Or - the blue bloods refer to us F&@%$()#!
Bumpkins are people who DO NOT: have a family member receiving services via the Lanterman Act, DO NOT work/serve for/as; a provider, board of managers of a provider, Regional Center, board of manager’s of a Regional Center, the state, Protection and Advocacy, State Council or affiliates; or any person or entity that gains financial for advocating for people with disabilities.
Please don' think less of us. We understand that there are some things we just cannot know or experience. We do understand that sometimes we can get a great unobstructed view of California's service system from our turnip cart. Often a cart passenger can get a perfect view of the Elephant in the turnip field, while the boulevardier might have an obstructed view or be too preoccupied with his or reputation, his new derby, or her new bonnet du jour.
While traveling on a turnip cart a person can make great friends with the many fine people you meet along the way. Friends can be people with disabilities, people that provide services for people with disabilities, and others. Most of our friends are hard working families. Some do not speak much English and other cases have no family at all and no panjandrums or blue bloods in their corner. Our favorite friend we call 'Deep Turnip'. Sometimes we meet Deep Turnip on the bottom level of an underground turnip cart storage place just over the Covered Bridge outside of Mayberry.
Sidle up if you wish and stick a poker in the fire, but we ask, but do not demand, that you try to do so with your bandana over your face. Why? Well – us bumpkins on numerous occasions have yelled, “Watch your step!” only to see one of them there blue bloods stick his or her nose in the air. We have thick skin, and dat don’t matter nun to us, but when we see some nice person with a disability step right in that horse pie that just makes us cry.
We think it best to focus on the “Watch your step” than the person screaming “watch your step”.
