The Little Couple

Yesterday afternoon my brain shut down, but my body refused to take a nap. As a result I found what is possibly my new favorite TV show, The Little Couple. Essentially it is the love story of Jen and Bill who both have been diagnosed with spondylo-epiphyseal dysplasia, a form of what is commonly known as dwarfism. Jen is 3'2'' and Bill is 4'. It tells of their struggles living in a world that does not accommodate anyone less than average size, but once again, above all it is about their life together.

Unlike Jon and Kate, Bill and Jen have a different motive for doing the show, they want people to be aware of the lives of people who are not "normal" by societies standards, in order to raise awareness but also to express sameness.

There are two reasons that I appreciate this show:

1.) Jen did not get married until she was 34. Amen! After going through a Christian college that celebrates "ring by spring", I have been affirmed that it is okay not to be married at the rip age of 21 or 22 right after graduating from college. I feel so happy for my friends that this is their story, but I have been seeking some type of affirmation that it is okay if it is not mine.

2.) This is a wonderful story to use to teach people about ableism - or the conforming of the world to the standards of what is "normal". People act like they are doing Bill and Jen a favor when they give them what they need just to function. They need to adapt to an area instead of the area being adapted for them. And people on the streets treat them with sympathy or like a commodity. This couple is seeking to educate people out what it means to be "differently-abled". If viewed properly, so much can be learned from this couple.