Dear Jerks,
Just because I am young does not mean I am healthy. I park in a handicap spot only when I need to, not because I want to. I am not taking advantage of the government. If you feel that you deserve to park in a handicap spot, why don't you either go sit down with your doctor and discuss it with them or why don't you try to live with something like this? Sure, I am 20. I'm a college student. I'm young. But that does not mean that you can berate me and scream at me for a long time in a parking lot while I'm struggling to get out of my car. Yelling at a sick girl who obviously looks ill is not going to accomplish anything!
If you see someone using walking assistance, whether it be crutches, a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair - get out of their way! There's a reason they're using it! If you and your friend thought it'd be fun to try to get me to whack you with my cane by walking in front of me and cutting me off, you were wrong. The only thing it succeeded in doing was throwing me off balance and almost fainting. Calling me a "crippled bitch" and laughing while I walked away in tears, struggling to regain balance only means that you are both rude and mean people.
I really wish that people who don't understand could go through just thirty minutes of this. I know that they most likely don't realize what they're doing, but come on! Common sense!
Learn some manners and stop it.
Sincerely,
Your Local Fibro Girl
Just because I am young does not mean I am healthy. I park in a handicap spot only when I need to, not because I want to. I am not taking advantage of the government. If you feel that you deserve to park in a handicap spot, why don't you either go sit down with your doctor and discuss it with them or why don't you try to live with something like this? Sure, I am 20. I'm a college student. I'm young. But that does not mean that you can berate me and scream at me for a long time in a parking lot while I'm struggling to get out of my car. Yelling at a sick girl who obviously looks ill is not going to accomplish anything!
If you see someone using walking assistance, whether it be crutches, a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair - get out of their way! There's a reason they're using it! If you and your friend thought it'd be fun to try to get me to whack you with my cane by walking in front of me and cutting me off, you were wrong. The only thing it succeeded in doing was throwing me off balance and almost fainting. Calling me a "crippled bitch" and laughing while I walked away in tears, struggling to regain balance only means that you are both rude and mean people.
I really wish that people who don't understand could go through just thirty minutes of this. I know that they most likely don't realize what they're doing, but come on! Common sense!
Learn some manners and stop it.
Sincerely,
Your Local Fibro Girl
Sweetie I'm not 20 but still look too young to need a handicapped spot. I'm only 41 and have heard the phrase "but you don't look sick" and "what do you mean you're too tired?" People can be so mean and ugly. I'm glad you are out here telling people what it's like to have fibro at such a young age. Hang in there kiddo. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy new standard response is going to be "I have a disease". Most people don't care to ask any further questions.
ReplyDeleteTo hell with the people who don't understand. Live your life the way you need to. Take care of YOU.
XsarenkaX: I think that's going to be my new answer also: "I have a disease." I have a handicapped placard and the looks I sometimes get...but if I have to walk from car through parking lot into store, am too tired/too much pain to shop! Can't win with this stupidly awful illness. My pet peeve is when I tell someone I have fibro (and CFS)which I rarely do, they say, "Oh, gosh, tell me about it! After working 8 hours, going to the gym, then grocery shopping, making dinner, doing laundry and getting the kids in bed I just wanna drop!" And on a "good day" for me I'm lucky to actually do 1 load of wash. Would trade lives in a heartbeat! But still find it hard to reconcile my "new life" with my former one, and I was diagnosed in 1998. Still push, hit the wall, pay for it. Repeat. Feel guilty for not doing what other's think I "should" do...and what I want to do. Hard lesson to learn to take care of myself...it's a difficult thing to assimilate. Great post btw!
ReplyDelete