Last post Sun, May 25 2008 7:02 AM by mcjane. 56 replies.
If any of you are willing to enlighten us with the wisdom of others who think they are smarter than those of us in the know.. Like my wife has been asked if there is anything wrong with my mind (if I am retarded), and I got asked once if my feet were retarded.. Things like that..
Or strange or stupid things you have heard people say about a handicap when they didn't think you could hear them..
SO MANY ! THINK THE BEST WAS , DO YOU PEE OK ~~~~~~~~~ I HAVE POLIO ! YES I PEE JUST FINE ....................................LOL RAINEY
I really can't think of a strange comment...One thing that really bugged me was a fellow dive instructor...She weighed in at about 300 lbs and questioned my abilities to teach diving....I'm in great shape weigh in at 150 and can get around with my crutches better than many divers can walk
Joe
The strangest question I've ever gotten was "Why are you old?" I was 15 at the time. The little kid had probably never seen a young person in a wheelchair before. It took me a minute to figure out where the heck that had come from, and by then the kid was gone. I think it was the next day before I went "Oh! That's what she'd meant!"
This is a real "think' post
Geesh, it wasn't a question, but a statement a wheelchair tech said to me one time,- "I know you wish you didn’t have cerebral palsy.”
Silliest question - have you had anything to drink ? Asked by a CHP Officer at 8:00 AM. I don't drink alcohol because I can't hold it down. My stroke slurring my speech, at first I was offended, but he didn't know me and I understand his ignorance. Kind of funny now.
I have to change the subject.....Kids ask the best questions so I can't say that they are "strange" or "dumb" but just the other day I had a 5 year old girl approach me and say" I don't know you" I said "I'm Greg, I don't know you" I asked her who was on her t-shirt (strawberry shortcake) and this helped open her up to me She said "I'm Alica, What's wrong with you" (I am in a wheelchair) Since you can't explain a spinal cord injury to a young child I just explained how i can't stand up and use the wheelchair to move around. She looked down, kicked some rocks and the quickly looked right in my eyes and said "What the heck? One leg or two?" I thought it was very cute! I have also had another child ask me if I had bones in my legs and if I did...why I could jump on the trampoline with them? Kids are the best!
People don't tend to ask me dumb questions. Well except "what HAPPENED to you?" (I use a cane because I have CP, didn't exactly "happen") Mostly they ask good questions. I don't find "what is your disability" a bad question. Neither is "can you climb stairs?" And I LOVE it when people at work say "Can you please tell me specifically what you can and can't do?"
What they do is make stupid statements. Like "I thought everyone with CP had mental retardation" or "Let me do that for you" [while I am already doing it for myself] One of the most hurtful things someone said to me was about a year ago when I was told "if you can't pick up babies and carry them around you can't be a pediatrician"
The questions are mostly a search for information and suggest the asker might actually listen to the response. The statements are generally based on assumptions where the person doesn't think they need information beause they have already made up their mind.
I'm a recent amputee (right leg, BTK), and I have also heard that particular comment. It is sad, isn't it? I responded with, "Guess it's a good thing I'm not you, then!" I thank the good Lord for my sense of humor every day when dealing with "normal" folks.
hugs from ducky
I still haven't been fitted for prosthesis yet, so I get around in my "Roll-O-Matic" (my pet name for my chair). I rolled down to the gas station for a soda a couple of weeks ago, and some fellow I'd never met in my life who was also waiting in line suddenly started asking if I was all right, if I needed anything? Hey, I combed my hair and put on clean clothes - didn't think I looked THAT bad! So, I told him, "Well, I'm fine, but I could really use about $2mil. to start my own dotcom business." The guy proceeded to PET MY HEAD as though I were a cat or dog and tell me how brave I was, and how he would pray for me and God would surely bless me. I appreciate the sentiment, really I do, but I believe God has already bestowed a lot of blessings on me, and even my disability serves His purpose. I don't mind encouragement, even find it helpful. But, I can do without condescension and misplaced pity, thankyouverymuch. It was all I could do to keep from barking when he petted me.
LOL...I'm still waiting for someone to stupidly ask me if I am still able to have sex. In which case, I shall smile pleasantly and tell them, "I was taught by my mother that questions like that are rude and none of your business!"
ducky01: I still haven't been fitted for prosthesis yet, so I get around in my "Roll-O-Matic" (my pet name for my chair). I rolled down to the gas station for a soda a couple of weeks ago, and some fellow I'd never met in my life who was also waiting in line suddenly started asking if I was all right, if I needed anything? Hey, I combed my hair and put on clean clothes - didn't think I looked THAT bad! So, I told him, "Well, I'm fine, but I could really use about $2mil. to start my own dotcom business." The guy proceeded to PET MY HEAD as though I were a cat or dog and tell me how brave I was, and how he would pray for me and God would surely bless me. I appreciate the sentiment, really I do, but I believe God has already bestowed a lot of blessings on me, and even my disability serves His purpose. I don't mind encouragement, even find it helpful. But, I can do without condescension and misplaced pity, thankyouverymuch. It was all I could do to keep from barking when he petted me. hugs from ducky
Ducky, I love your sense of humor!!! You had me laughing about the barking part. I think you should have barked! I think people mean well, they just don't know what to say. Some people are really ignorant though.
I did have an old classmate of mine ask me straight out if I kept my leg on or took it off when my husband and I had sex! She is really a loud loud-mouth and everything has to do with sex. Several years ago she was fired from her hair cutting job for comments she made about being in a wheelchair, while a lady in a wheelchair was in the shop getting her haircut. She didn't say them directly to the person, but she kept going on and on, saying she didn't know what she would do if she ended up in a wheelchair and couldn't have sex with her husband. She is so loud too, you can't help but hear her. She was at my son's track meet today and even though it was really windy, you could hear her all over the track.
Keep up the humor!!
Becky
When I was in the hospital after the accident that left me paraplegic someone asked "Do you want to live like this?" And volunteered to help. Recently I was asked "Do you get horny? I mean, CAN you now?" And volunteered to help. Ya gotta have friends! lol
