Adventures in Odyssey Home Page

Pen Pal

Album: Gold Audio 15: A Place of Wonder

Episode: 206

Lesson/Theme: Friendship

Bible Verse: Psalm 146

Characters: Bernard, Edwin, Eugene

Writer:

Sound Designer: Bob Luttrell

Original Air Date: October 3, 1992

Last Air Date: October 3, 2008

Description:
Melanie is ecstatic. Her pen pal, Jenny Roberts, a girl Mel has never met, is coming for dinner. But when Melanie meets Jenny, she is taken aback. Jenny is blind. Jenny lost her sight to a disease when she was seven years old. Melanie tries to be friendly, but she is unable to get past the fact that Jenny can't see. What makes Melanie really upset, however, is that Robyn seems to be getting along better with Jenny than Melanie is. The two Jacobs girls take Jenny all over town and to all sorts of events, including a soccer match and a carnival. At the carnival, Jenny plays a trick on Melanie in the Maze of Mirrors. This sends Mel over the edge. She lashes out at Jenny and Robyn. Later, at home, Jenny apologizes to Melanie and reads her a letter she was going to send before her visit, a letter revealing that she is blind. Jenny says Melanie has to realize that she’s the same person who wrote all those letters, she loves to laugh and play and have fun, and they can do all those things together. Jenny adds that she knows Mel is scared of Jenny’s disability and offers to help her get over her fear. Melanie agrees, and the two of them stop being pen pals . . . and start becoming good friends.

Questions:
Why did Melanie react the way she did when she learned Jenny was blind? Why was Melanie angry that Robyn and Jenny got along so well? Do you know any special people like Jenny? How do you treat them?