THE DANGERS OF BEING "LABELED"
We with Moebius, or other physical differences, know these dangers all too well.  See what it did to this young woman, who eventually became a TV reporter:
" As an entertainment reporter who covers Hollywood, there are countless critics acting as judges in this industry. There are the never-ending headlines of leading actresses’ “weight gain," and "starved frames." These unhealthy labels have to stop.
 Sixteen years ago I was a slave to bulimia, prompted by the labels of others. My bulimia lasted for about a year, and during that time, I destroyed so much of my body.
I actually lost track of how much weight I dropped, and I noticed that my friends, who initially encouraged me to lose weight, stopped being so critical. I did not realize then that it was because I had become a walking skeleton. I had gone from loving the person in the mirror to hating the reflection that stared back me.
It all began with the semester I studied in Spain as an undergraduate college student. There, I lost weight, challenged by the food of my host family.
When I returned to America, I happily returned to eating pizza, ice cream sandwiches and french fries. Then, some of my friends who had initially complimented my thinner frame, were now criticizing my "chubby" look.
The peer pressure and constant labeling about my appearance left me feeling ugly, powerless and out of control.
Looking back, this was my moment: a subjective observation from my peers that had a gradual harmful effect on the way I looked at myself."

Of course, in our case, the labels are different--"retard" was one of the uglier names tossed my way when I was younger.  But the effect is the same.  Let's hope people continue to come out against labeling others, be they Hollywood stars or just ordinary folks with a difference, like us.

HEALTHY HABITS YOU CAN LEARN...FROM YOUR DOG!
No joke--your pup can teach you some healthy tricks:
"Believe it or not, you can learn a thing or two from your four-legged best friend.
Dr. Emma Raizman, a pediatrician at the Cleveland Clinic, said dogs can teach humans a few healthy habits.
Raizman said the first thing dogs can teach us is to “get out and play.”
“If you look at your dogs they want to be let out all of the time,” Raizman said. They want to run, they want to use their legs and build their muscles, build their endurance and get all of that energy out.”
Raizman added that you can learn portion control from Fido – as you typically feed him the same amount of food at every serving – you should do the same for yourself.
Pay attention to your dog’s sleeping habits. He makes sleeping a priority, so you should, too.
And you can even learn empathy from a dog, Raizman said.
Dogs are quick to forgive, and studies show that people who forgive easily have less anger and less stress.
Canines show appreciation, and humans should mirror that trait, Raizman said, adding that doing so can help your mental health and build stronger relationships.
“You know when you come home your dog is wagging their tail, they’re happy to see you, and they don’t hold it in,” Raizman said. “They just let all of their emotions show.”

“Contrary to the cliché, genuinely nice guys most often finish first or very near it. ”--Malcolm S. Forbes (1919-1990);