Monday, April 18, 2011

“Why Can’t You Walk?”


As my husband and I were shopping at a local department store, a little four-year-old girl ran over to me, placed her hands on her hips and very curiously asked, “Why can't you walk!?" 

While her very embarrassed mother tried to hide behind the clothing rack not wanting to claim her as her own, I tried to think of how I would explain to this child what my disability was in a way she could understand.

I could feel her eyes as they seemed to pierce through my very soul. Struggling to find the right words that would make her understand, my husband responded for me,

"She's lazy."

"OK!" she said as she skipped away completely satisfied with that answer.   


I never stop to think that I look "different" being in a wheelchair until experiences like this happen; and I'm OK with them when they do. My differences are what make me, ME.

And as for "she's lazy" goes; if it makes a child happy and comfortable with someone who is "different," then that's OK with me too.


7 comments:

  1. Jamie..you are an amazing person. I am honored to know you and volunteer with you when I can:)

    Denise Parker

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  2. Thank you Denise. I really appreciate that!

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  3. Jamie, your one awesome person ever. Keep it up..Love you my friend

    Kristin Marie

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  4. One time, my youth pastor's daughter, who was four at the time, ran up to me and said quite inquizitively, "How do you put on your clothes?!" Oh! The innocence of a child... ;-)

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  5. I had the same sort of experience with a family friend of mine when I was little. A family friend of mine was with me shopping and a woman very rudely asking me why I was in my wheelchair, without thinking for two seconds my family friend answered for me: " She is such an incorrigably lazy child that is why she is in this wheelchair." I still think thats a good answer :D

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