Some hope yet..!

My disability is what they call an "invisible disability" As I get to know peoeple or meet people, I have to go through the conversation of what's "the matter with me" and "what's wrong with me" and explain to them the fluctuations behind my invisible disability. I don't mind this conversation at all - if I am making friends with people, they need to understand that there will be times that I will be physically IN a room, but miles away in my either too tired or too medicated to be involved with what's happening. There will be times where I can't go with them to do fun things - but that doesn't mean I don't want to be there, or not to invite me. What concerns me is the automatic language used - what's WRONG With me. What HAPPENED to POOR LITTLE ME.

But today - a glimmer of hope for the next generation. I manage to work part time in a child based retail establishment meaning I spend a lot of time talking with the younger parts of our society - and what's gems they come out with sometimes! But today - a young boy of 6years old, saw me on my walking stick and asked WHY I was on it? He asked me if I had different types of sticks for different activities, he asked me if sometimes I used a chair with wheels. He was asking me - me as a person - HOW this made a difference in my life. WHAT I did and HOW I went about my day to day activities. There was no negative connections in his head at all - all pure and simple curiosity. It was all going so well - until his (very well meaning) mother, came and apologised for his questions and told her son not to "ask the lady questions about what's wrong with her"

I respect the fact that his mother was doing what she thought was polite, and I aprichiate that a lot. But I don't need pity. Curiosity brought us The Big Bang Theory, Cars, Internets and Every I-type product to name a few. Pity gave us the Workhouse and Mental Asylyms.

I'd take questions any day!