Margie & Luke - TAR 14

[Rattus]

I'm making this a general comment on a number of posts here--don't we often critique and criticize racers for their attitudes and/or how they treat each other?
...

Or are we going to have to treat them differently because of Luke's deafness?

I think that some of the issue here is how people are interpreting Luke's behaviour. I am only partially deaf, but that still affects my reaction to things - I am forever having to apologize for what would seem to be yelling at people, but is actually just an inability to focus on modulating my vocal levels when I'm frustrated or annoyed. Because of this, I see Luke as a fairly typical young man, but not an unpleasant one (I am actually impressed by the fact that he cried over the state of poverty in India - betcha one of the many alpha males who have raced wouldn't). And while his mother might be somewhat solicitous of him (and really, what mother wouldn't of their child in a foreign country), I don't think that she's overly protective. I think that if she were, she wouldn't have taken him on a race around the world.

[steppemaster]

Rattus--hi--okay I read and see your points.

I have a queston about Margie though--what do you think of her reaction to his problems with the "Chekhov" challenge?

And what do you think of her many comments about how she worries what would happen to him if she were not around to "translate" for him?

He's in his 20s--how would you react to a mother of a hearing son of that age behaving in that way?



(I understand your concerns about the vocal modulation since I have been around Deaf or hard of hearing people.)

[Rattus]

I don't actually find her overprotective, and believe me, overprotectiveness annoys the hell out of me (it's one of those things that causes my vocal levels to elevate ). I think that if I were a parent with my hearing-impaired child overseas, even if that child were an adult, I would worry somewhat more than I would if the child could hear. You have to consider that he would be at an exponentially greater disadvantage in a foreign country in that, unlike the hearing, he would not be able to determine whether people he was trying to engage with spoke English, and the level of illiteracy in a third world country, particularly as regards a foreign language (English) would make it a great deal more likely that he would be unable to communicate through writing. And honestly, even if he is a voracious reader, there is so much information that we gather through the ether that he just won't be privy to that could impact his ability to deal in an unfamiliar situation.

[aname2]

Margie came close to what could have been a very bad outcome. Heat stroke is dangerous and unpredictible. I am glad she was at the end and had attention right away. I don't see any of them with water and in high temperatures, especially high humidity, water is a MUST. Glad she is okay.

[stacerace]

I am so sorry about that ! (I mean that sincerely--even though in this print-only medium it might come across as sarcastic.)


I didn't realize they were that tall.

You're absolutely right and thanks so much for the right-on correction.


I will add thought that my point stands--as short people they might be expected to run into some difficult situations--but we never hear them complaining. All we ever hear them doing is being cheerleaders for each other and sometimes egging each other on.

I personally prefer their "can-do" attitude to Margie's continual over-solicitousness.

No problem. I was kind of in a pissy mood yesterday However, I don't agree that their height should make any difference in the competition. I know it would not be the case for me. My issue would be that I'm not athletic but these guys are stuntment and athletes.

[steppemaster]

Stace--I've been known to be in a mood like that sometimes myself.
Thanks for understanding and accepting my apology.


I think for me the brothers epitomize a real "Can-do" attitude that I don't think Margie/Luke have. While the brothers see a task and think how they can do it and do it well, Margie/Luke seem to see only th different ways the task can go wrong.

Just my impression of the two teams.

[navybelle]

Sometimes I like this team and root for them, and sometimes I just plain dislike them. I don't know which way to go with it.
Sometimes Luke comes off as rude, but then I try to consider that being deaf he may not understand how minor inflections, gestures and tone can convey major feelings. He doesn't know how he "sounds" or how he's coming off. I also had to wonder in the Chekov task, if being a reader who hears and can sound out words in our heads is an advantage. Deaf readers must be more sight-readers, right? Other racers who did not know who Chekov was might have put the letters together based just on sounding out skills.
I felt so bad for Margie when she was asking for water over and over, but didn't get any! That was scary.

[prhoshay]

I like how Luke yells, "GO MOM!!!"

[Jexter]

I like how Luke yells, "GO MOM!!!"

Me too. I think this team is great, and I have yet to see repulive behavior from either of them.

I think they are wonderful in their support of one another. Sidenote: I don't think an overly-protective parent would let his/her deaf kid go on a show like this. Moreover, the fact that Luke has done as well as he has demonstrates what a fine job Margie has down in raising a self-sufficient young adult - deaf or not.

[Steena]

I am rooting for Margie & Luke to take it all. When this race first started, I would not have pegged them to do as well as they have. One assumes that a team like the sister athletes will dominate the game, but not in this case.

So, what the end come down to? Teamwork, good luck/bad luck, brains or sprinting? It will be interesting to see.