On Living with Cerebral Palsy (Part 2)

[twop_tjl]

First off, I realize I've been a bad LJ friend and haven't been commenting, and I'm sorry. I hope to do better in the future.

Thanks to all who commented on the last post. In my previous post on living with CP I only touched on a few of the issues, mostly dealing with how I've had to deal with various physical challenges. This post deals with the

Comments

[honeybunnylilb]

My only job so far, I got through a phone interview. Things would have been very different otherwise. My name is very common and my accent a bit odd, so it's not obvious that I'm a visible minority. I remember when I showed up for orientation, a lot of jaws dropped

[twop_tjl]

One of the things I've certainly learned at university is to never expect anything based upon a name. I've had a student who had a Japanese name, but was one of the whitest students I've taught. Similarly, I've had students with stereotypically Western names, but weren't in ethnicity.

In a lot of ways, I kind of feel like a poster child for CP and have to work to prove myself above those stereotypes. The truth is, most of the people I've met with CP were actually fairly intelligent, they just didn't look it.

That's awfully cruel of that man. I certainly had adults be really insensitive to me (including my parents), but it was really only other kids that were cruel to me.

[catatonia00]

No matter where we're at there's really no escaping the douchebag of the world, huh? I don't think I've had experiences that are worth writing home about, but I've had my fair share of racist encounters as well. Or encounters with chauvinist, racist pigs rather. People suck immensely sometimes.

I hate that man for permanently scarring you and emotionally barring you from riding a bike with your friends.

[catatonia00]

On one hand, it must've been extremely annoying for people to be reminding you about your disability. But on the other, I think it's testament to your character that people show interest in you. Even if it's in the form of shallow curiosity. It seems much better than having to fend off the rude asshats or the pesky voyeur whose mouths are tightly shut but with faces that give away whatever negative things they're thinking. Or be avoided completely. Not that you haven't had those encounters, because I remember your other stories too.

Your posts on being CP have been very enriching for me. They constantly renew my respect for you. Even when you're wailing in pain and drowning in utter despair, you're stronger and more alive than most people I know. I wish my words didn't have to sound so hallow.

[twop_tjl]

I'm glad that you're getting something out of the posts. I don't think people showing interest had anything to do with me, it had everything to do with my disability. So, it is more about their perceptions than me.