The Duck!

The Duck!

We went down to Point State Park to see the Duck. Who is the Duck? He's a giant inflatable yellow duckie that's floating on the rivers of Pittsburgh just to make people smile. I think he's doing a pretty great job too! It's bringing tons of families downtown because all the kids want to see a giant duck (naturally...) and those families are walking around and enjoying the city.

Tommy and Jimmy goofing around in front of the duck.

I know, I know. Tommy is blind so why did I take him down to the Duck. Because the Duck is an event! It's brining a whole city of people together and making people smile.

Tom loves events and doing new things. He walked all around the city and ate some popcorn with his cousin Jimmy. He had a great time. You don't have to be able to see to experience something. His experience may not be the same as someone who can see the duck but it doesn't mean that he didn't have fun that day.

When you have a kid with special needs it's easy to stay home and avoid big crowds. It's so much easier to do that. It's hard to gear up and get out there. It's hard to avoid the curious stares and ignore the comments. But it's worth it because Tommy loves to be out and about and he should be doing just that.

So that's our duck story. It was great to see so many people amused by something so simple - a duck. The duck doesn't do anything and there's no political statement or reason behind it. It's an art installation that has been done in many cities across the world.

Want to learn more about the duck?

Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Giant Duck's Arrival Paints Pittsburgh Quack and Yellow

NY Daily News - Duck Dynasty! Giant 40-ft Rubber Duckie Designed by Dutch Artist Makes A Splash In Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Magazine - 7 Things You Need to Know About The Giant Rubber Duck