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A Beautiful Day for a Barbecue The sun was shinning through the open windows illuminating the ranch style home with a cheerful brightness. A warm yet gentle breeze was filtering through the house, bringing with it an aromatherapy that filled the air with a soothing scent of blooming flowers and freshly cut grass. It was a Saturday afternoon in July of 2000; it was a glorious summer day in a quaint residential neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. It truly is a beautiful day to have a barbecue, Scott Smith thought to himself, as he gazed through his front window while he patiently waited for his friend Jim to arrive. Scott was invited to attend a barbecue this afternoon at the home of his close friends Jim and Amy, a married couple he was very fond of. They were very good old friends and a bit overprotective of Scott too. Although unnecessary, Jim was always insistent on driving Scott wherever he needed to go. Meanwhile, as he waited for Jim, Scott found himself in a trans-like state looking through the window watching his next-door neighbors busy at work in their yard. The husband was cutting the grass while his wife prepared the grill for barbecuing. He watched as their young children pleasantly giggled and played outdoors. This sight was quite joyous for Scott to watch, for he had a great admiration of children and they seemed to take to Scott quite fondly too. Suddenly, Scott was overwhelmed with a familiar feeling of deep sorrow and loneliness. He backed away from the window wearing a slight frown on his face. Scott has many friends but he still feels lonely. All his friends found love and are involved in serious relationships where some married and raised families. Scott longs to find someone who will love him unconditionally. Of course he is thankful of having many close friends but at times he finds himself to be envious of them. He desperately wants to have the same life they have. Scott Smith is a successful businessman, owns a lovely home and has many close friends. He is quite handsome with his thick wavy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes and he just turned thirty years old three days ago. Unfortunately, Scott Smith is physically challenged, he has a condition called Spina Bifida. His spinal cord was not fully formed at birth, leaving him partially paralyzed and permanently confined to a wheelchair. Scott’s condition does not prevent him from leading a normal life. He could accomplish almost anything. Yes, he does drive a custom made van and he socializes frequently with his close friends, attending nightclubs, restaurants and social gatherings. Yet when Scott goes out on the town with his friends, he feels that everyone, especially women, look at the chair and do not bother to take notice of the person in the chair. In December of 1998, Scott’s sister Sarah introduced him to the Internet. Scott did not know it then, but the Internet was going to change his life forever and for the better. He spent most of his spare time online and in chat rooms. He talked to a variety of people from all over the U.S. and other countries too. He rarely told the people he spoke to online about his wheelchair. The few times he did tell anyone was when they arranged to meet him but all the cases he thought, were charitable ones.
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