Best and Most Beautiful Things Page #2

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that the struggles and losses

in her life

have, um, helped define her.

Each and every one of you

has the talent

and the ability to create

your own life.

Know yourself and know

all the challenges you face

and don't put yourself

on the sidelines.

Not everybody's

gonna understand you

or see you as capable,

or, in some cases,

they may even pity you,

God forbid,

but you can't let that

stop you from being

the most important person

in your own world.

You know, all people

are great in their dreams.

The point that I want

for you guys

is to be important

in your own life,

not just in your dreams,

but in your real life,

you know, that it is,

in fact, up to you.

Perfect diploma

to Michelle Anne Smith.

Michelle, voice-over:

I'm gonna miss this place,

but in some ways I feel like

I've almost outgrown it.

I want to leave,

and I want to take on the world.

The world will be my burrito.

Hi, Fran. Hi, Maxwell.

Michelle, voice-over: I would

wake up, go on the computer,

take my meds, have some coffee,

go on the computer,

take a shower,

go on the computer,

but I've probably spent

an entire year in my room...

and... and now I'm...

I'm sort of feeling

like I'm ready to step out again

into the world

and... and be social.

I am not alone

I am not alone

I am

not alone

I am

Thank you so much.

That was fun.

Julie, voice-over: It's been

really hard for Michelle

to find a job

that she's able to do.

They're just not out there

here in Bangor,

and I don't think there's

gonna be a lot of employers

that are going

to give her the chance

because she's going to need

a lot of assistance

and a lot of time.

I don't know if, you know,

someone has the patience

for that

or if she has the patience

in herself for that.

I'm cold, and I am shamed

Lying naked on the floor

Illusion never changed

Into something real

I'm wide awake, and I can see

the perfect sky is torn

And don't forget to wish

Michelle a happy birthday,

2-1 birthday right here.

How'd I do?

Whoo!

You rocked it.

Yours is the birthday, honey?

Happy birthday.

You can sing so beautiful.

Thank you.

Aw, I'm gonna cry.

You can.

I, um... I actually...

You sing better than me.

I... I can't...

I can't see the screen.

I'm legally blind,

so any more...

any song that I know

I have to memorize

all the words to, so, uh...

I know that, honey.

You're amazing.

Aw, thank you so much.

Keep it up.

You do a great job.

I found out about an opportunity

that I think would be

really amazing for you.

The guy that created

the "Rugrats"...

do you know that cartoon?

I very well know it.

Um, he would really love

to have you be an intern

there in Los Angeles

either this summer

or this fall if you

would be interested.

I'm shaking.

I'm gonna sit down.

I... I... uh, are you sure

I'm not dreaming?

What would he want me

to do as, like, an intern?

Does... he knows I'm blind,

right? Like...

He knows you're blind.

OK.

Maybe you would get

to voice characters.

Oh, my God, do you know

how much I want to be

a voice actor since I was,

like, a little, little kid?

Oh, my goodness.

Ha ha ha!

I don't really have

the money to really be...

I... I live on SSI

right now, so...

We want to work with you

to figure it out.

And I'd... yes.

What?

Seriously.

Ha ha ha!

Ha ha!

No.

I'm not even...

No. Your...

your mom...

your mom doesn't

want to lose you.

Wow. Ha ha!

Yeah.

Honey, that's awesome.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Crazy.

I know. Yeah.

It's crazy talk.

Yeah. I know.

That's awesome, honey.

Are you really considering it?

Yeah.

All right.

Yeah. I really am.

It's, like, my...

my big break.

He wants me

to come to L.A.

and live in L.A.

and be a voice actor,

be his intern

and do voice acting.

Oh, wow.

That's really big.

Yes.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm gonna move to L.A.

sometime in January.

Well, uh, congratulations.

Thank you.

Maybe I might even do,

like, some singing and stuff.

I might even do some,

like, screen acting.

I really don't...

I really don't know.

Think you'll just

stay out there?

You think you'll come

back home and visit?

I don't know. I'm...

I'm probably gonna

come back home and visit,

definitely, but...

So if we want to see you,

we're gonna have

to come see you?

Uh, yeah.

Come visit me. Heh.

That's big news.

Mm-hmm.

In some ways, it's

a little bit scary.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. I'll be

stressing about things.

"Oh, my gosh, she's gonna

forget to do this,"

or, "She's... you know,

she's gonna"

"be listening to her headphones

or something on the bus

and miss her bus stop,"

or, you know, stuff like that.

Migliozzi, voice-over:

It sounds kind of crazy.

Uh, the woman from

the Communications Department

is going on her own time.

This isn't

a Perkins-sponsored event.

The cold reality of it is,

there's just a lot of pieces

that have to be put in place...

the transportation,

where are you gonna

get the food,

do you know anybody

to live with,

uh, if something goes wrong,

where the support's gonna be.

You know, I don't want her

to be crushed,

and we don't want it

to fall apart.

I don't want that

for Michelle...

Hopefully, I won't get

fired from this one.

Well, you'll always

be awesome to us.

Yep.

Migliozzi, voice-over: but I

also always tell my students,

the future is theirs, and

this is what she wants to do.

It just seems like there's just

not enough in place here

to make me say that, you know,

I can give my blessing

to what's going on.

Julie, voice-over: Emotionally,

I think it would be

a huge setback for her

if it didn't work out,

and it would take her a while

to get back on track...

you know?

Well, guess

who's coming to dinner.

Hello.

Hey, how are you?

I'm doing well.

Well, good.

I love the new glasses.

Thank you.

Come on in.

Ah, this place

smells like nostalgia.

Julie, voice-over: Lori Spencer

was Michelle's

Division of the Blind teacher.

I'm very appreciative of what,

you know, Lori did for Michelle,

but she kind of had

low expectations of Michelle.

I came here

because I want to, uh,

for lack of a better word,

um, confront you

on some things,

but I want you to know

that you were... you were

a great teacher to me

in a lot of ways.

You taught me, and...

and I... I think that now

I can sort of, uh, talk to you.

OK.

Um, I think a lot

of people who work

with people with

disabilities don't really...

they tend to think

that our pers... certain...

certain personality

quirks that aren't

considered "normal"

are just a side effect

of our disability that

needs to be changed

and fixed, and our individuality

is not considered as important

as someone without a disability

because a lot of it

is considered, like,

a side effect of our disability.

"Oh, she doesn't know

that it's weird

to like to collect dolls

when she's 21"...

which I do, like,

collect dolls...

and it's like, no,

I know that people

are gonna think it's weird,

but it's who I am,

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