As a Catholic, I know that I'm made in God's image. This has been a truth that I've always held no matter what has happened to me in my life. The basic dignity of the human being is a tenet of our Church and, as a cradle Catholic, I have always believed in this.
However, when I became disabled, I ran into a bit of an "image problem". When I went out in public, some people reacted to me very differently when I was in a wheelchair. It has been difficult for me to learn not to allow others to place their labels on me and define me any differently. After all, I am the same person I always have been.
Today I went over to the store to get a gardening glove to use for playing wheelchair tennis. As I struggled with my money to pay for it because of my hand impairment, a woman on line behind me began to complain about how long I was taking. She sighed, heaved and generally made it clear that she was way too busy to wait around to suit me and my "special" problems. She made a speech about how she was usually very patient, but this was unreasonable.
Of course I could not move any quicker than I was. To make matters worse, after I finally managed to give the cash to the cashier, I then dropped the change and bills as I tried to put it into my wheelchair bag. At that point I was bent over, trying to pick up dollar bills without much success. The cashier came around and helped me as the woman's tirade escalated.
"I don't know why you people expect everyone else to cater to you," the woman said in a loud voice. "Who do you think you are?"
I took the change from the cashier and popped it into my bag with the side of my arm. Then I turned around and looked at her. "I am a human being," I said quietly "and I deserve to be treated with dignity just the way I am."
Because I know the answer to the question "Who do you think you are?", I do not let an occasional rude and, most likely unhappy, person stop me from living my life.
I encourage people with disabilities to take the risks involved in "getting out there" and being visible in our society. It is the only way inclusion is going to happen.
Just remember who you are.
4 comments:
It must be a full moon. I had a guy blast me today for rolling near his car in the parking lot - believe me I was nowhere near it. Yikes! I liked this post. thanks.
I want you to know that many of us don't feel the way that woman does. It's unfortunate that the most ignorant among us are often the loudest .
Unbelievable!
I used to work with deaf children as an interpreter (but then had kids and had to quit because it didn't pay the bills).
There were many occasions when I could hear other people making comments about these kids or some of my friends who were deaf. It made me boil.
Sometimes it's just ignorance and then you run into the ones who are just so miserable in their own lives, they feel better by insulting others.
Thing is, I would let them speak their mind, since they wouldn't know I was hearing, but before I'd leave I'd make a small remark... something like, "Perhaps it would be wise to careful about what you say because I just told my friend here every horrible thing you just said about them."
Usually, they will apologize and hopefully they learn something.
But you are right... it's about "getting out there". I always told the kids, "You are wonderful the way you were made. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"
Hi Amber!
It's so sad that jobs like that are so undervalued and underpaid , but what you taught those kids was an invaluable life tool. My heart goes out to kids because even as an adult it was hard to deal with this kind of nonsense. As the years go by, however, I no longer personalize it and realize it's a bigger issue.
Take care,
Ruth
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