My cousin insisted that I watch It’s Okay to Not be Okay with her and lo and behold, I finally gave in. Here are a few reflections and a few other things I’d like to add:
- When Ko Mun-Yeong cut her hair short, Sang-tae would repeatedly comment how Ko Mun-Yeong looks better with a long hair // while it may be perceived as a funny demeanor, people with exceptionalities manage themselves by following patterns, & routines which also help them establish their confidence hence, a disruption in their norm, or changes in their environment esp the very elements they pay attention to, can affect them [in varying degrees] i.e make them feel uneasy, cause their distrust, etc.; and if you can emphatize with the main character then you can imagine why higher levels of stress can be found among the parents/guardians of persons of exceptionalities. so it’s important to always look at both sides of the story.
- Sang-Tae, despite all his tantrums and meltdowns in the series, grew up in a loving and supportive home with people who understand his condition; his routine was not shown in the series [which I hope they’ve given extra thought by apportioning a few scenes] but a pattern can be usually observed where the viewers can tell if Sang-tae’s about to have a meltdown i.e Gang-tae lying to him
- The show seem to be careful with labels; I understand that labelling is still a contentious matter but if there’s a diagnosis, I believe it is deemed important to be shared instead of constanly trouncing in the thought “there’s something wrong with the person”
- One of the most notable parts I’ve watched so far is the scene wherein Sang-tae had a meltdown after finding out his brother lied about his whereabouts which also revealed his memories about almost drowning in the icy river. Some may be provoked as that memory was explained in full detail in the earlier episode but it’s also important to take note that for a person with exceptionality [part. with learning disability], higher chance of false recollection can be expected; but for ASD, they can misread situations from their difficulty in using their emotions which in turn could result to a false memory.
- Caring for people with exceptionalities is a sacrificial act, a lifetime of responsibility not all parents/ guardians will sign up for; it is emotionally & mentally tormenting. Not to mention the financial capacity it requires because of the special needs that must be given so they can cope in their own unique capacities.
- In the Philippine context, our policies catering to the people with exceptionalities [ categorised under PWDs] remain incompetent and unreliable; the stigma that they’re different, weird, crazy, and completely helpless still persists; poor proliferation of right information about them also adds to the problem.
- I have yet to mention many other things but my point here is the fact that this also calls for our demand for more competent policies, and rightful programs, that will strengthen our healthcare system and support the needs of the individuals/ families concerned; it’s heartbreaking that to this date, the primary initiatives supporting the calls for PWDs in the country are mainly charity works by NGOs. It is disappointing enough that we have a poor healthcare system in the country and yet the healthcare system still has to be burdened with the budget cut because the government thinks our defense budget is of higher priority until the pandemic slammed our doors and we’re now face flat on the ground waiting for an awakening.
p.s. i stopped at ep 10 so some things i wished for might be in the remaining eps. my apologies.
