It's all in the attitude
By hookfan
@hookfan (447)
April 17, 2007 2:01pm CST
I have been thinking about this over the last couple of days in regards to how people react to my blindness and even how I react to them. It's an interesting concept. I tend to react with humour, though if I'm not in the best of moods I tend to be a little sarcastic :P
Attitude. I tend to be outgoing and quite relaxed about my visual impairment. I also know it tends to be the other person's problem if they can't deal with it. I am who I am :)
I went to my GP's office today and there was a new receptionist there. She suggested I go to the waiting room and read a magazine. I waited for it to click in that reading the mags is just NOT an option and thank goodness the regular receptionist stepped in and told this new one that she should pay attention a bit more. I know I had a sarcastic remark waiting on the tip of my tongue!
My attitude to my own disabilities is that I'm quite comfortable with it, I've lived with them long enough to know how to do things. It's the attitudes of those around me that I sometimes have a hard time with.
So anyone else out there have a hard time trying to deal with attitudes?
4 responses
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
17 Apr 07
The roomie takes the humor card. I take my cue from her & act as she does. Most people don't realize she's visually impaired because she copes so well. She didn't go to the blind school until she was 13 & after being abused by a school & school mates in a small town. Fact is that if a school acted like that today they'd be sued, but the kids were actually nearly incourage in the abuse and her brothers were no help at all. Fact is that her brothers still act like those people even tho they were 11 & 9 when they left the place. She doesn't call them brothers tho, she calls them "the a$$holes I happen to be related to."
@hookfan (447)
•
18 Apr 07
Sounds like you and your roomie get along quite well. I can understand the attitude as well towards her brothers. I don't get along with my natural siblings but do with my adopted brothers. I have always been mainstreamed into a regular school and found it a good experience for me.
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I think if she had lived in Austin or another larger city she might have done very well mainstreamed, but in that sinkhole of backward raceism & prejudist that her folks were living in it wasn't possible. Besides, having gone to the blind school, she managed to then link up to many things that she didn't have before. The audio books for the blind is one of them. Now she can't go to sleep without her talking book machine. She also got some help when she was out of work 9 yrs ago & right after getting her job. In fact, she's got probably the best job out of all her classmates from the blind school because many of them just prefer to sit at home & get SSI.
@hookfan (447)
•
18 Apr 07
Am glad she's doing so well. I would much rather work than not. Though I was recently made redundant I am busy job hunting and still studying (as you know from other discussions), so I am definitely not one to just 'sit at home' as so many are likely to do. I would much rather live life, so much better :) Thanks for the posts ElicBxn!
@weemam (13372)
•
20 Apr 07
bad attitude and ignorance I find go hand in hand . Ross has had this all of his life too pal , people used to look over his head and ask how he was , I used to tell them to ask him , because he had a physical disability the assumed he had mental disability too , Ross is like you too he always has a cheeky answer , sometimes the only way you can get through life and still stay sane is to laugh about it , You are brilliant pal and you have accomplished so much , you should be really proud of yourself . i tried to post this about 10 times before I went to bed last night , then did a discussion , got through now finally ( I hope)xxxx
@loved1 (5328)
• United States
17 Apr 07
I have a hard time dealing with people who have a bad attitude whether they are disabled or not. You sound like a great person to be around. There is nothing worse than hanging around with someone who feels sorry for themselves all the time. Good for you, for finding humor in your situation and having such a great attitude. I think that attitude alone can change a person's whole situation.
@academic2 (7000)
• Uganda
19 Apr 07
hookfan, you are my kind of man-acceptng a disability is the only sure way to demystify it! I live on a wheelchair myself, and i deal a lot with similar attitudes from people i meet. Some just look at you and they suddenly look away as if they want to cry! But I pull them back and engage them in very analytical debates which make them out of place instantly beause I usually tend to be very humurous and rather sarcastic in my selection of words-infact I make them rethink their attitudes by taking them on in their game of negativity! I note you also often arm your self with sarcastic remarks up your sleeves as you deal with such people, that is the way to go. We disabled people should not let people who do not understand disability continue in such ignorance, we should help them see the light! The world will be a better place for us all if we do just that.
@hookfan (447)
•
19 Apr 07
That is often the best thing to do..make them rethink. Sometimes sarcasm is totally lost on them, but it also makes them think about what they've said/done to cause the situation. I do try my best, but as I'm sure you know, there are just days when we don't WANT to explain ourselves, our disability nor do we WANT to hear how 'wonderful' we are for coping 'so marvellously' and how they just 'couldn't manage if it happened to them'. There are just days when I don't explain anything to them because I'm in a rush or I just want to go my own way for once. :)
