The difference being that this poster invited us to ask him questions.
As in, “Don’t be shy.” Surely you can see the difference, right?
Additionally it’s not like this poster has proven himself especially delicate or shy, himself, when it comes to telling others he’s offended.
I’m a little confused about what you’re trying to contribute, are you telling us to BE shy even though the OP specified not to? Or perhaps just relating your own experience? I don’t really see a parallel between this poster and the children in your tale. What am I missing?
In the course of becoming friends with my handicapped friends, I have learned about their disabilities the way they’ve learned about what’s in my background.
With strangers, it’s none of my business, and I am not interested in discussing the prurient details of their private lives and histories.
So basically, I hold no misconceptions about you or your wheelchair if I meet you and ask no questions. I’m just not friends with you.
When I see someone in a wheelchair I’m no more curious about them than I am about the guy with the giant scar across his shoulder blades, the old lady with gnarled hands, the homeliest family on earth I saw at the store the other day, or the insanely pretty pair of teenagers at McD’s.
They get perhaps a moment’s notice because they do stand out a little bit, but really and truly they get no more thought than someone’s hideous fashion choice or pretty hair or anything else.
It’s just another person going about the business of living their life, as I am mine.
We have – and the majority have been about your disability and/or disability issues. Maybe not ALL of them, but a good many, and in quite a short time.
If you don’t want people to think you’re just a one note song, coming in here to take offense (yet again) and defend yourself, instead of answering the questions you requested of us, isn’t really going to help your case.
Ignore that and proceed with the pretext you opened the thread with, to answer any questions.
I had a baby in April. Frankly I’m probably pretty obssessed about the baby. I could talk about her for hours and hours and hours. But honestly? I don’t. At least not to most people. Or at least I try not to. The only people who want to hear me do so are my parents and my husband. And that’s about it.
I don’t particularly dislike you but I feel the same way about your disability right now. It’s just not as interesting to most people as you seem to think it is.
jamiemcgarry, I haven’t followed your other threads. What put you in your chair? When?
I’m glad you’re so open about your disability. It is often difficult for a once able-bodied individual to talk about how they lost mobility. You are an exception.
Yes, of course, many people have misconceptions about what are acceptable questions, but, as many here have already stressed, most people would rather know the brain, inside, first.
And for that matter, I am reasonably sure he started those other non-handicapped threads ONLY AFTER somebody in one of the handicapped related threads complained that he didn’t talk about anything else. So, they appear to me to be more a cover for all the handicapped threads rather than threads for their own sake.
Jamie, you are probably a nice guy but honestly all you are doing is alienating most people and just raising your own blood pressure for no good reason. There will be a time and place for your wheelchair wisdom to come out naturally and it will be welcomed and appreciated at that time. Right now IMO you are doing more harm than good for the board, yourself, and your cause.
Less than HALF of the threads I’ve started here have been disability-oriented. Less than half. And there is no winning with guys like you is there? You say I write about nothing but one subject. When I point out the inaccuracy of this remark, you say “well, I’m sure you only wrote about other stuff when people started complaining…”. Nothing I do will be meet with a positive frame of mind from members like you.
By your not answering any of our questions here, are we to infer that the only questions you are interested in answering are disability-related? I would like to know more about you. Were you a fitness buff in your previous life, or is that new?
Please note that none of the comments or criticisms I made in my last post had anything to do with your being - or being perceived as - a one-trick pony. So feel free to respond to those.
I’d say no but like many things it depends on the manner in which it is done. I think your motivation to simply be at eye level is appropriate and your actions would reflect this; someone who is acting in a patronizing fashion would tend speak differently and just interact differently with the person as well as kneel down. So no, I don’t think the act of kneeling down in and of itself is a patronizing action. If done in the manner you are describing it is a very respectful, humane thing to do.
I am in Davison, which is a suburb of Flint. I moved here about 4yrs ago when I bought my first house. Longterm, however, I’d like to move to a climate that doesn’t include snowy winters; snow and ice are probably two of the biggest foes of anyone who uses a chair.
I’d be happy to read your other threads, could you provide links for me? You see, I’m old and don’t have very good search ability. I get frustrated too easily. (Yes, I’m that “Get the hell off my grass.” woman.)
