BEING RUDE

I am not certain who was more rude. Was it the woman standing in the doorway blocking a wheelchair from leaving or the disabled woman who said "Move" in a loud voice?

Was it rude for a Greenpeace beggar to stand in front of handicap parking even after being asked to move? Or was it rude for the handicapped person to get angry when the beggar did not move?

Was it rude for the waitress to disobey her boss by turning up the sound of the TV? Or was it rude for the disabled person to yell rather than walk over to the waitress who was ignoring her?

When every step is painful, it is often impossible to control irritation at what is a small problem for the able bodied and a LARGE problem for the disabled.

For the disabled, there is also the difficulty of controlling the anger portion of the grieving for the loss of mobility. I used to have difficulty controlling my tears when I saw an older man and woman holding hands while walking down the street. Such a simple act of love which was no longer possible for me.

I prefer to concentrate on what I CAN DO, not on what I CAN NOT DO. But I am not a perfect person. Sometimes even I have a bad day.

I actually have more problems in the week that I am going to court. Attorneys get used to being treated with respect. Attorneys are expected to be effective advocates in a court room. But the normal attorney attitude just upsets people who expect the disabled person to be grateful that society allows them to live.

I have the humble person bit down pat. If you are a humble disabled person, people are GLAD to help.

But if you are a powerful advocate in a wheelchair, everyone thinks you are rude.

LIFE IS SO NOT FAIR!