Dividing the world into two kinds of people

[marydell]

1. people who think missing a forearm & hand is not a big deal, just inconvenient, and maybe a even a little cool.

2. people who think missing a forearm & hand is a REALLY BIG FUCKING DEAL, tragic, horrifying, heroic, shocking, OMG.

It's been interesting to discover who falls into each group. My neighbors and in-laws, every last one of 'em, fall into the first category. Even the occasional older-generation racist neighbors, who eye my child sideways at first because he's Chinese, warm right up to him when they discover that he's disabled. Which is odd, but I'll take it. The neighborhood kids are thrilled with him and can't wait til he's old enough to get a robot arm.

I shouldn't be surprised when some people fall into the second category, but I am. I somewhat expect it from people born in some other countries, where discrimination is still the norm. But I'm running into it from people born here, too--people who know disabled folks, have disability in their families, and still just don't fucking get it. Yeah, sure, kids are going to pick on him at school. It'll suck when that happens. But it's not tragic...unless people who meet him keep deciding that it should be.

Comments

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

well, i don't think not having a lower arm is cool, but i do think a robotic arm would be cool. neato, in fact.

[marydell.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's pretty much where the cool factor comes in. Not that the absence is cool but that the opportunities to be a transformer, bionic, and other stuff are cool. That's how the youngsters in the neighborhood see it, anyway...bless them.

To clarify, I don't think it's GOOD that he has this problem. But everyone has problems, some of them a lot more challenging than this, and I don't understand why some people are so shocked by this.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

I second that.

[geekosaur]

My dad went out of his way to prove group #2 wrong (polio, useless left leg).

[marydell.livejournal.com]

Hurrah for your dad!

[unhappytriad.livejournal.com]

My blind (from birth) college roommate had an aunt in Category 2. One of my pediatric patients with cerebral palsy has a grandmother in Category 2. Both of them did way more harm than good.