Monday, April 15, 2013

Did He Just Say Avatar?

I have found over these past 6 1/2 years that living life in a wheelchair requires a good sense of humor. And frankly, it is what has kept me alive through it all is my ability to laugh at myself and the events that tend of happen to me often. One of the biggest suppliers of a good laugh are the things complete strangers say to me. I know that most are saying inappropriate things to me out of pure ignorance of not knowing about people with disabilities, which allows me to be able to laugh at the situations. In this post I wanted to highlight my most favorite encounter with a man a few years ago...

I was in my advisors office waiting for him to call me back when a middle aged gentleman walks into the wait area signs in and begins to look at me. Being quite used to people staring, I keep busy with my phone when I hear this man begin to talk. He asks me, "what happened?" I get this question a lot, so I responded with, "car accident when I was a teenager" He replies, "OHHHHH, you were drunk?" Me, "No we were actually sober. Just made a bad decision." Him, " WHAT?! So how did it happen?" Me, " We threw a water bottle at a car which chased us for 2 miles at a high rate of speed until we crashed" Him, "WOW! Who was chasing you? Did he crash too?" (I should enter at this point I have realized that the man was slow, so I wasn't offended by his questions) Me, "An older man who turned out to be a school board member and no he fled the scene." Him, "Wow, that is a shame. You are so pretty, you could have been a model" Me (not really knowing how to respond), "thanks?" He begins to walk towards the door and looks at me and says the greatest line that I have ever heard ever... "Well you can never give up hope, you never know what the future may hold. I mean look at what they did in Avatar. Anything can happen. God Bless"

Yes, ladies and  gentlemen this man actually told me to hold on hope for what happened in a movie! I some how managed to keep my laughter in until he left the room. Obviously what he said was wildly inappropriate but like I said he was slow and the innocence of his voice made me know he wasn't intending to be mean. Plus this story has given me quite a few laughs over the years. Every time I think about it I giggle.