Way back when I was but a wee criplet, certain people came around
because, they said, they wanted to be my friend. And those people really
creeped me out.
They usually were part of some charity that said that their mission was to make friends with cripples like me. They’d usually try to take us bowling or horseback riding or off to do something we didn’t want to do anyway.
So that felt empty to me, like losing your virginity to a rubber doll. I don’t know why it was so important for them to make me feel like we were friends. The ones that came around were often teenagers and it felt like they were being my friend because it would earn them extra credit or something. Or maybe they’d put hanging out with me on their college applications under extracurricular activities to increase their odds of being accepted. Or maybe they were just trying to score points with some chick.
Whatever the reason, it always creeped me out when they came around. I felt like they were prostitutes, snuggling up to me and trying to make me feel like I was special for an ulterior motive. And as soon as they got what they wanted from me they’d move on to the next guy. So I felt it was best not to get too close to them.
And I would get extra freaked out if the people who came around trying to be my friend were also trying to mentor me. I was always suspicious of organizations that have mentoring in their mission statement. Because I thought that meant that they must’ve thought that what I really was looking for was for someone like them to show me the way. But didn’t feel like there was any one person out there who could show me the way and if I ever did want a person to be my mentor I would probably ask an older cripple. But now that I am an older cripple I resist efforts to match me up with another cripple so that I can be their mentor. That’s too much pressure! I know that if someone hangs around with me because they expect the to be full of sage wisdom, I’m bound to let them down. Because what the hell do I know? All I know is what has worked for me. But that’s no guarantee that it’ll work for the next guy, All they can do is try it (or not) and see.
But I suppose that when I was a wee criplet and I let those guys hang out with me for extra credit, I ended up doing them a favor. At least it kept them off the streets.
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