Wilt

[pitbulllady]

Originally Posted by WiltsAKGirl17

Are you sure magic won’t fix it? (Sorry-- I felt compelled to go there…)

On the much more serious note, unless an IF is a biologically accurate starfish, they’re probably not going to regrow severed limbs, so that‘s outta the picture. Wilt being, well… Wilt, he has adapted amazingly from the loss of his arm and eye-- even to the point of holding a bowl in his left arm while filling the bowl with potato chips in “Where There’s a Wilt…”-- and he did so with his usual infectious optimism. I wholeheartedly agree that Wilt serves as an inspiration to someone with a disability, and that someone with a disability is just as capable as the next person. I would also like to reinforce that: this school year (2007-08), I had the distinct pleasure of being a teacher’s aide for a special education teacher, who had (I believe it was) cerebral palsy. She was very small, shook and walked with something of a limp; however, she was unflaggingly optimistic and friendly-- just like Wilt.

Now that I’ve finally seen “Race for Your Life…” I definitely see the resemblance between Mac and Wilt-- especially in the context of morals vs. the need to win. I can see why Wilt would have the idea that he needs to be adopted to help a child: you never hear Mr. Herriman or Madame Foster or anyone suggest that not being adopted is not a bad thing.

Wilt would no doubt be pretty surprised if he were to closely examine his impact on Foster’s: he is certainly a driving force behind life at the house-- if it’s not mowing the lawn, it’s helping someone, and if not that, then merely keeping the peace. Take that away, and it would throw the entire group dynamic out of whack: You have Bloo and Coco, who provide more than enough insanity, and Eduardo, who’s rather easily impressed upon because of his naivete. Mac and Frankie, to some extent, balance out the aforementioned insanity; however, both would be easily overwhelmed on their own, which is definitely where Wilt enters into the picture, and his well-secured niche in the group dynamic.

Yeah-"Group dynamic"-that's the word I was actually looking for! Wilt is sort of an "adhesive" that holds that together and helps preserve some measure of sanity about the place. Mac does, too, to a certain extent, as does Frankie, but Mac doesn't actually LIVE there, and he's only there for a limited time each day, so with regards to the household it's really Wilt and Frankie who keep the place sane, and neither one could pull it off alone. Mr. Herriman, for all his rules, actually HINDERS at times, since he unintentionally creates conflicts and stress by being so strict and so unyielding, and it's really hard to say that Madame Foster helps much, either, since she can be a "loose cannon" at times herself! Just the presence of someone with Wilt's personality can have a remarkable impact on the structure and function of any group, even if he does not consciously try to affect it, plus Wilt seems to be one of the few individuals who will actually try to keep Bloo in line, and that alone is a reason enough for him to stay!

pitbulllady