I was just scrolling through my Facebook feed and saw this.
It read:
“Today I had to go to Lowe’s. As I approached the entrance, I noticed a female driver looking for a parking space. I flagged the driver and pointed out a handicap parking space that was open and available. The driver looked puzzled, rolled down her window and said, “I’m not handicapped.”
Well, as you can imagine, my face was red. “Oh, I’m sorry,” I said. “I saw your ‘I’m Ready for Hillary’ bumper sticker and just assumed that you suffer from a mental disorder.”
She gave me the finger and screamed some nasty names at me. Boy! Some people don’t appreciate it when you’re just trying to help them.”
And I had to stop and reread it.
I’m just sad. I’m sad that someone thought this was clever enough to post. I’m sad that someone on my friends list found it funny and shared it on her timeline.
I have children who are handicapped who have “mental disorders.” Those terms aren’t jokes to me, they’re reality.
I spend a large amount of my time advocating for my kids, both in their schools and other activities, and by writing pieces which engender understanding and hopefully make the world just a little better place for them. When I see this I feel like I’m spinning my wheels.
It’s the 21st century. Aren’t we civilized enough that we know better than to make fun of people with differences?
Today I am sad and today I removed someone from my friends list after leaving a thoughtful comment on her post. I just don’t have room in my life for people who think handicaps and mental disorders are nothing but material for jokes.
My children are worthy, my children are wonderful, my children are valuable. I will not be quiet in a world that says otherwise.