With the current state of the world – and the associated news coverage in particular – it can be all too easy to lose yourself in the idea that trouble and despair reign supreme.
Yes, you’d be correct in questioning the morals of a select few. Yes, you’d be right in thinking that the world would be a better place if everyone could put aside ambition and personal gain for compassion.
And yet there remain brilliant examples of human kindness that can serve to remind us that all is not lost. A good many of them, actually.
Which is why we feel it’s incredibly important to lift and praise such gestures as often as we can. If just one person reads an article and is inspired to do something good, or realizes that the ‘good old days’ don’t have to be old days at all, but rather an ideal we can continue to strive towards in the future, then we’ve done our jobs.
With that in mind, we’d be remiss in our duties if we didn’t share the astonishing happening that took place in Mosinee, Wisconsin last week.
As per reports, fans had gathered at Mosinee High School on Thursday evening to watch the last match of the school’s volleyball team’s regular season.
Given that this was the final match, it makes sense to assume that the crowd was in the mood to make some noise and generally enjoy themselves.
Amongst their number was the brother of one of the players, Melina Carattini. His name is Payton and he’d reportedly journeyed to the game to cheer his sister on.
There was a slight problem, though. Payton has autism, and one of the ways his condition manifests itself is through causing him to be noise-sensitive.
He’d previously watched games from afar, but decided to try and witness his sister play firsthand for the last match of her team’s regular season.
Melina and Payton’s father, Jesse Carattini, explained: “You know you tell him when you get back home — you tell him how the game went. She played good, things like that.
“But to have him there is very exciting and emotional.”
Given Payton’s noise-sensitivity, one can only imagine how unsuitable the atmosphere at a volleyball game might be. That is, of course, the usual atmosphere at a volleyball game.
Luckily for Payton, this particular game – or at least its opening exchanges – was far from the ordinary.
According to reports, fans attending the game remained silent as the teams took the court. For the first part of the game they kept quiet, all so that Payton could enjoy watching his sister play without falling victim to any type of sensory overload.
Indeed, the players communicating amongst each other and the occasional whistle from the referee was all that could be heard in the Mosinee High School gym.
Payton left the gym after the 10th point of the game to avoid further noise, but he was delighted at having been given the opportunity to cheer Melina on in person.
I don’t know about you, but I think this is a perfect example of people coming together and doing something truly compassionate for the benefit of another individual.
I’m so happy that Payton got to enjoy watching his sister play volleyball. It’s likely a memory he’ll carry for the rest of his life.
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