As I drifted around the
grocery store that was far away from home, I kept getting dirty looks. But all
I was doing was minding my own business and trying to pick up a few groceries. So
I said to myself,” Damn, this sure is not a cripple-friendly town.”
I’m going to name names here
because I think it’s important that the truth be told. The town I’m talking
about is Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, which is a little bit north of Green Bay.
And people kept looking at
me as if they deeply resented my very existence in their space. I’m not used to
that because it seems to me like most people are able to maintain a tight poker
face when they unexpectedly encounter a cripple. If they feel alarmed they are
able to pretend like they didn’t even
notice you were there. But not these people. No sir. They made no secret of the
fact that they didn’t want me there.
But maybe that’s a good
thing because at least they’re being honest. In a lot of places, people are
afraid to admit that cripples and crippledness make them feel uncomfortable so
they put on a fake smile or act like they don’t see you. Thus, a lot of
cripples have a hard time relaxing around unfamiliar verts (which is what I call people who walk because it’s
short for vertical). These cripples are always wondering if the smiles and the body
language of the verts are telling the truth.
Personally, I’ve gotten to
the point where I don’t care if I make a vert feel uncomfortable. Life is too
short to worry about that. I figure if they don’t like me being there they can
leave.
In fact, I almost shouted
out something like, “If you people don’t like it, you can all shove it!” But
then a woman said something to me that made me feel real stupid. She said, “Hey, what’s that! A Bears jersey!”
As she walked past me, she playfully punched my shoulder and cackled out a laugh.
I forgot that I was wearing a Chicago Bears
jersey in the heart of Packer country.
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