How often do we get close to complete strangers? There are times when a morning commute or an elevator ride forces our hand, but more often than not we as a society tend to provide a buffer around people we don't know. Few groups feel the effects of this distance more than the disabled.
In this video, a man in a big fluffy teddy bear costume roams a courtyard in a bustling town. Confusion turns into comfort for seemingly no apparent reason as pedestrian after pedestrian gives the costumed man a warm embrace. He does nothing but stand there, yet it's hard to not notice the joy beaming out of their smiles as they squeeze away. It's not until the music fades and he removes his mask that it makes me say "whoa."
The costumed man is named Fabian, and it's crushing to realize that in his everyday life as a disabled citizen, people distance themselves from him for no reason other than that he looks or talks differently. The man behind the bear suit is the same man behind the clothes, so from now on I'll think twice about putting up a buffer around strangers, and I'll try to 'get closer' instead.
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