Philip: Yes, I know Peter, and it happened here too, a man and a woman tried to push me.
Int: And what did you do?
Philip: Well, the point is this, we are not allowed to talk to strange people.
I asked what they did, apart from the annual play, and their expressions changed from
intent enthusiasm to resignation. They talked about having grown out of the day
centre.
Philip: [quietly as if he doesn’t want to be critical] I don’t like the centre myself, but I say
stop.
Int: Stop going to the centre?
Philip: No, I’m saying stop, it’s too personal.
Int: Oh you don’t want to talk about it?
Philip: No, no. Peter as well.
Peter: No is the answer
Int: Right, thank you And is there anything you’d like to change about your lives? Make
anything different?
Philip: Well I would like to change....
Philip spoke of his ambition to share in creating and directing a play about the twenty
year history of one of their theatre companies, and to take it on an international tour,
partly to raise awareness about the abilities of people with learning difficulties.
Changing society
Colin who also attended a special centre was depressed about it, and implied that his
problems, at least partly, arise through interactions and other people’s attitudes. He
missed his friends.
Colin: I sometimes feel a bit lonely at home especially here at the centre sometimes there’s
no one to talk to.
Int: No one who thinks like you do?
Colin: No not really. I don’t have a life here really with no one to see, you know. I used to
have a girl friend once, at one time, but unfortunately that didn’t work out properly.
Int: How about the people you work with? What do you think of them?
Colin: Well fairly good [laughs rather sadly].
Int: How do they treat you?
Colin: I can’t really say, I’m afraid.
Int: Because you can’t remember, or you don’t want to say?
Colin: I don’t want to say. Some are quite difficult.
Int: How do they make you feel?
Colin: Well a bit sad you know, a bit happy, a bit of both, a bit miserable sometimes.
Int: Do they ever get angry?
Colin: Other way round.
Int: You get angry?
Colin: I get - it’s them making me, it’s the other way round.
Int: Oh, they make you angry?
Colin: Yes, sometimes.
Int: Oh, how do they manage to do that?
Colin: I really don’t know, I, I don’t understand that myself, I don’t know I’m afraid.