We get to the bar and everything is pretty typical, order my drink and go to our usual pool table. Of course there are a bunch of people there, many that I don't know. So I am getting settled in and a guy comes over to say hello to someone who I was with and he (dressed as a nerd) looks at me, says "What happened to you?!" Getting this ALL the time I replied "Car accident". Simple to the point and generally it stratifies people enough that they will move on. But not this guy he then says, "I have been in loads of car accidents and can still walk." At this point I was pretty shocked that he said that because most people are very afraid of hurting my feelings so they do the opposite and ignore the elephant in the room (elephant being my wheelchair). He drifts away obviously extremely drunk and I think nothing more of it. Later in the night I noticed that there was a girl dressed up as Justin Beiber, knowing that my best friend's little sister has a bad case of Beiber Fever and I love teasing her about it I had to get a picture. I wheeled over to where she was and asked for a picture. They were in the middle of taking some shots, nerd guy included, so I wait for them to finish. Well as I wheeled up they were passing the shots around and nerd guy looks up saying, "WAIT! We need to give the retard in the wheelchair a shot." Now everyone in the group knows me and their faces were filled with horror. I mean it literally looked like every bit of color drained from their faces. Everyone ignores him, me included. Not because I am offended but because I more confused on why he was saying that. Most of my friends and I joke about that but never has a complete strange had the courage to say something like that to me. For good reason too because you never really know how a sentence like that would effect someone. And I will tell you right now if someone had said that to me just a few months post injury I would have been crushed, probably crying for days. Back to the story, the nerd continues to say "give a shot to the retard in the wheelchair a shot." repeating himself about 4 more times. I kept rejecting his shot and everyone else was trying to change the subject till he finally looks at me and says "you aren't really in a wheelchair are you?" A little late to ask that question.... I replied "yes I am, I was in a car accident" He says, "NO WAY!" repeating myself I said "yes I am." This goes back and forth a few more times. Till I finally pull out the big guns and say, "I am in a wheelchair I was in a car accident when I was 17 and my best friend was killed." Finally he got it, I am really in a wheelchair. The poor guy thought it was all a part of my costume. His instance reaction, "I am so SORRY! I didn't think you were in a chair because you are way to pretty, you don't look like someone who would be in a chair." I thanked him for the sort of compliment, listened to about 20 more apologies, then went back to my friends. I was dying laughing and told everyone what happened. Then through out the night he continued to apologize to me and my boyfriend. I kept assuring him I was okay and move on. I was a little happy because I knew it would make a great story and a great blog. haha.Now I want to make it clear, I am not angry with this guy and really don't want all of you to get angry. I think it is hilarious and very thankful he said to me and not someone else whose feelings he could have hurt. Just another instance where if society wasn't so terrified of the disabled and took the time to learn about us stupidity like this would be avoided.
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