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Let me set the scene: lunch time, sitting at the lockers having a casual conversation. We got onto the topic of tattoos, my friend was saying how she would want to get a lyric tattooed from her favourite band (if you're reading this right now, HEY GIRL). I had then mentioned how, if I got a tattoo, I would get one for my mom. I've always wanted to get something for her, whether it be her favourite quote or a cancer ribbon (note: my mom is a 3x cancer survivor). My friend (again, HEY FAM) told me to get a tattoo of a prosthetic leg (note: my mom also has a prosthetic leg). This is when I told her that my mom would kill me if I got that tattooed on my body (another note: I told my mom this and she said she would kill me if I got one tattooed on my body, she hates tattoos as it is). This is when the girl sitting across from us chimes in with a "I've always wanted a fake leg". It took every ounce of my being not to claw her face in that moment. She proceeded to say that if anyone lost their leg in a car accident or something that she would donate her leg. We proceeded to tell her there is no such thing as a leg donor, she tried to say there is but looked stupid in the process. Now, I have a shit memory. I remember telling her to never say that again and blah blah blah (I think I was heated but I really don't know). It honestly disgusted me for someone to wish they had a disability. It's not cool or funny at all. My mom spent years in and out of the hospital with her leg, she even missed family trips. She's had so many surgeries that she actually lost count. My mom has had a prosthetic leg for (I believe) over 35 years and still experiences phantom limb (sometimes she feels that her entire leg is still there because of the nerves). Thousands of dollars goes in to making a prosthetic leg and they don't always last long. In my lifetime, I can name three that's she's had. She also has to wear these special socks on her stump that are also freaking expensive and give her blisters. I've seen first hand the difficulty of having a prosthetic leg, it is not something you wish upon anyone. Many people say stuff like this without thinking. The amount of insensitivity in this one girl's voice actually makes my stomach turn. People with both mental and physical disabilities are often overlooked or degraded by others. They're looked at as sensitive beings that you feel the need to talk like a baby to. What many people don't see is their strength. Some are in pain every single day, some have difficulty with language but still pull through at school everyday. I've met few disabled people in my life, but that few have earned my respect entirely. There is a girl in my third period class in a wheelchair and is one of the kindest, most intelligent people i have ever met. She's always the one in class to answer the questions and when working in a group, she gets the most done. People like this girl and my mom may be disabled, but they are 10x the people that we might ever be. Next time you see someone with a disability in public, don't stare or point. Think about their strength and all the shit they have been through, look at them pushing through that. And please, treat them with the same amount of respect as you would anyone else.
note: I felt the need to write about this because it has been bugging me for the past couple days. I'm going to go help my mom with her hair now. I hope you guys have a great day!
