S?m? c?lt???s h?v? ??scin?tin? t???iti?ns ?n? c?st?ms, ?n? t??v?lin? ????n? th? w??l? ?ll?ws ??? t? ?x?l??? n?t ?nl? th?s? ?s??cts ??t ?ls? th? ?ni??? ch???ct??istics ?? ??ch ?l?c? ?n? its ????l?.
In s??th??n Ethi??i?, th??? ??si??s ?n 8-????-?l? ??? n?m?? A??sh? in Jink?. H? ??c?s s?ci?l is?l?ti?n ???m his vill??? ??? t? ? ?ni??? c?n?iti?n—h? ??ss?ss?s st?ikin?l? ?l?? ???s. Un???t?n?t?l?, in m?n? ???ts ?? A??ic?, s?ch ?istinct ???t???s ??? n?t w?ll-??c?iv??, simil?? t? h?w ?l?in?s ??t?n ??c? ??j?cti?n.
F??m ? v??? ???n? ???, A??sh? h?s h?? t? ?n???? th? ?is??in ?? m?st ????l? ????n? him. H? is c?nst?ntl? s??j?ct?? t? ??ll?in? ?? ?th?? chil???n ?n? is ??ni?? th? s?m? ?????t?niti?s ?s ???s his ???.
H?w?v??, it’s ?ss?nti?l t? ?n???st?n? th?t A??sh? is n?t c??s??, n?? ???s h? h????? ?n? m?l?v?l?nc? within him. Inst???, h? s?????s ???m W?????n???? s?n???m?, ? ???? ??n?tic ?is????? th?t ?iv?s him ???s ?? ? c??tiv?tin? ?l?ish h??.
This s?n???m? ????cts ?nl? ?n? in 300,000 ????l? ??t ?ls? c?m?s with v???in? ??????s ?? ????n?ss, which c?nt?i??t?s t? th? ??j?cti?n h? ??c?s ???m th?s? wh? ??n’t c?m???h?n? his c?n?iti?n.
A??sh? ??si??s in ? m???st ????? ?n? w??? c??in with his ???n?m?th??, ? h?m? th?? m?v?? int? ??t?? l?sin? ?v???thin? in ? ?i??. Th?? h?v? th? ???? ?ss?nti?ls, ?n? wh?t?v?? littl? m?n?? th?? h?v? is ?s?? t? ?ns??? th?t A??sh? c?n ?tt?n? sch??l.
Wh?n A??sh? w?s ???n, his ????nts ??li?v?? h? w?s ?lin?, ??t th?i? ?i?? ?in?nci?l sit??ti?n ???v?nt?? th?m ???m s??kin? m??ic?l t???tm?nt ?? ? ?i??n?sis. N?n?th?l?ss, th??’v? n?v?? vi?w?? him ?s “c??s??” ?? ????ctiv?. On th? c?nt????, th?? s?? his ???s ?n? ?v???ll c?n?iti?n ?s ? “?i?t ???m G??,” ?s ?nl? ? ??w ??? ?l?ss?? with s?ch ? ?ni??? t??it.
A??sh?’s ?nl? l?x??? it?m is ? ??? s?cc?? ??ll, ?ll th?t ??m?in?? ???m th? ?i??. H? h?s ? ???? l?v? ??? ???t??ll ?n? w?tch?s ??m?s wh?n?v?? ??ssi?l?. H? ??mi??s Li?n?l M?ssi ?n? s??s ? simil??it? ??tw??n hims?l? ?n? th? ??n?wn?? ???t??ll??, ??m??kin?, “M?ssi is th? s?m? ?s m?. H? is n?t lik? th? ?th??s!”
Wh?n ?l??in? s?cc??, A??sh? s??ms t? ?in? s?l?c? in th? ??ct th?t ??in? ?i?????nt ???m ?v????n? ?ls? is n?t ? ????l?m ??t ??th?? ? s??ci?l ch???ct??istic. H? is ?lw??s s??n with ? smil?, ?n? with th?t c??tiv?tin? ??z? ?n? w??m smil?, h? c?n wіп ?n??n? ?v??.
S?v???l in?ivi???ls wh? h?v? m?t A??sh? h?v? ???n ????l? m?v?? ?? th?i? ?nc??nt?? with him, lik? th? ?h?t?????h?? E?ic L???????? ?n? th? t??v?l?? Mik? El???. Mik? El??? sh???? his ?x???i?nc? m??tin? A??sh? ?n his w??sit? ?n? ??sc?i??? th? imm??i?t? im???ssi?n ?? A??sh?’s ???s wh?n h? s?w th?m ?? cl?s?.
El??? h?? th? ?????t?nit? t? ch?t with A??sh? ?n? h??? ????t his li??, ???tic?l??l? th? ch?ll?n??s h? ??c?s ??? t? ?isc?imin?ti?n ???m ?th?? chil???n ?n? ????l? ??c??s? ?? his ?ni??? c?n?iti?n.
S?ch ??j?cti?n sh??l? h?v? n? ?l?c? in ??? w??l?. Ev??? h?m?n ??in? ??s??v?s ??s??ct, ??????l?ss ?? th?i? c?n?iti?n, ?s??ci?ll? wh?n it c?nc??ns ? chil? with ? ??n?tic c?n?iti?n. H?????ll?, A??sh? will n?t h?v? t? ?n???? this ?isc?imin?ti?n th????h??t his li??, ?n? ?v??? ??? h? ???s?v???s in th? ??c? ?? th? ??in c??s?? ?? s?ch ???j??ic?.
Th? ????t? ?? n?t???, ??n?tics, ?n? th? m?m??i?s w? ??th?? whil? t??v?lin? th? w??l? ??? ??m??k??l?. L?t’s h??? th?t A??sh?’s ??t??? is ??i?ht?? th?n th? ch?ll?n??s h? ??c?s t????. Sh??? this st??? t? ??min? th? w??l? th?t ?isc?imin?ti?n sh??l? n?v?? ?xist.